A warning from the CDC; children are using way too much toothpaste. It's unhealthy for children to put so much on the toothbrush.
Dr. Susan Fallahi with Uptown Pediatric Dentistry says the main concern when kids are using too much toothpaste is the amount of fluoride in it.
She says the right amount is good but too much....
"If we have too much fluoride, and just like anything else, it's dose dependent, so if we have too much during those initial stages when the teeth are forming, it can actually get incorporated into our teeth and cause something called fluorosis," Fallahi said.
That leaves white spots on the teeth or even worse, darker spots on the teeth.
"For younger children that aren't savvy with swishing in their mouth and spitting, they taste something delicious and they just want to swallow it, we recommend using what we call just a rice size amount or just a small little smear on the toothbrush," Fallahi noted.
Otherwise swallowing large amounts of fluoride is not good for you.
Fallahi advice for parents of small children.
"Assist your children with brushing and explain to them that we just need to use a tiny little bit," she added.