Quantity of Fluoridated Toothpaste Children Use for Daily Brushing

Abstract

The aim was to evaluate the quantity of fluoridated toothpaste placed on toothbrushes by children or their parents/caregivers, at the time of daily tooth brushing, and to analyze whether this quantity is within the standards recommended by national and international institutions on this question. Methods: In total 50 children in the age-range from 3 to 12 years were analyzed. These children and their parents/caregivers/ were asked to bring the toothbrushes and toothpastes they used daily (when they came for the dental consultation). Firstly, we measured the mass of the patient’s toothbrush, without toothpaste. The next measurement was made, based on who performed the daily brushing (children/parents/caregivers), and this individual was asked to put the amount of toothpaste habitually used on the brush, during the daily brushing performed at home. Lastly, the amount of fluoridated toothpaste dispensed was measured, according to the values recommended by national and international agencies, in relation to the child’s age (“a grain of raw rice”, “the size of a pea”, horizontal scrub technique). The values obtained at all the stages were recorded and were compared by the T test (α = 5%). Results: The quantity of toothpaste put on the brush by the child or parent/caregiver ranged from 0.1g to 1.45 g, with the mean value being 0.55g (s.d 0.33). The persons responsible for the children used significantly smaller quantities when compared with the children (p˂0.05). Conclusions: Children, irrespective of age, tended to put more toothpaste on toothbrushes, when compared with the parents/caregivers.