Fluoride toothpaste has consistently been
proven to provide a caries-preventive
effect for individuals of all ages.15,19 In
the United States, the fluoride concentration
of over-the-counter toothpaste
ranges from 1000 to 1100 ppm. In some
other countries, toothpastes containing
1500 ppm of fluoride are available. A
1-inch (1-g) strip of toothpaste translates
to 1 or 1.5 mg of fluoride, respectively.
A pea-sized amount of toothpaste is
approximately one-quarter of an inch.
Therefore, a pea-sized amount of toothpaste
containing 1000/1100 ppm of
fluoride would have approximately 0.25
mg of fluoride, and the same amount of
toothpaste containing 1500 ppm of fluoride
would have approximately 0.38 mg
of fluoride. Most fluoride toothpaste in
the United States contains sodium fluoride,
sodium monofluorophosphate, or
stannous fluoride as the active ingredient.
Parents should supervise children
younger than 8 years to ensure the
proper amount of toothpaste and effective
brushing technique. Children younger
than 6 years are more likely to
ingest some or all of the toothpaste