A Gravimetric Study of the Ingestion of Toothpaste by Children

Abstract

Dentifrice usage studies were made in a group of 44 Edinburgh children aged between 3 and 6 years using a gravimetric technique based on the polishing agent in the dentifrice. The amount of paste apparently swallowed during brushing averaged 0.5 g or less for 70% of the subjects; the worst performer apparently swallowed an average of 1.16 g per brushing. In contrast to previous studies employing a urinary or faecal marker which will underestimate the amount ingested if samples are lost, the present technique will overestimate the amount ingested under these circumstances. Hence the true picture probably lies between the two sets of results.

Past Fluoride Exposure From Ingested Toothpaste Extrapolated From Younger Siblings And Fluorosis Status

“…Baxter (16) found subjects were not consistent in the amount ingested on different occasions (brushings). This accorded with the findings of Hargreaves et al (14), where the pattern of behaviour varies widely between children and for an individual child on different occasions. A greater betweenchild variation than within-child variation (p<0.01) was however reported.…”

“…Many were on the amount of toothpaste used per se (6,(10)(11)(12)(13), others were on fluoride ingestion per se (5,(14)(15)(16)(17) with no attempts to relate to fluorosis. No local studies have ever been conducted to determine fluoride toothpaste ingestion in Malaysian children at the time of their enamel formation.…”

Fluoride Intake of Infants in New Zealand

“…The amount of toothpaste dispensed on the brush was found to range from 0.07-1.97 g, with an average of about 0.54 g. For infants less than 6 years, the mean amount of toothpaste used per brushing has been reported to vary from 0.55 g-1.38 g (Hargreaves et al, 1972;Barnhart et al, 1974).…”

Community Water Fluoridation and Intelligence: Prospective Study in New Zealand

“…20(p332) If this claim were accurate, then major decrements in IQ in countries that have adopted CWF would be expected, as well as in the many countries where use of fluoride toothpastes is widespread (note that children up to age 5 years often ingest substantial quantities of fluoride during toothbrushing if given excessive quantities of toothpaste or not properly supervised during brushing). 31,32 No dramatic historical decreases in IQ have been seen following widespread implementation of CWF or worldwide introduction of fluoride toothpastes; instead, historical comparisons have documented substantial IQ gains across countries since the mid-1900s. 22,30,33 Relevance to the International Context…”