AUDIO: NOW, KIDS ARE USING TOO MUCH TOOTHPASTE
A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study says young children are using too much toothpaste. The CDC surveyed the parents or caregivers of 5,157 children ages three to 15. They were asked a series of questions, like how much toothpaste their child used and how many times a day their child brushed their teeth. The CDC concluded that nearly 40 percent of children ages three to six used a brush that was full or half-full of toothpaste – meaning they exceeded the CDC’s recommendation of using only a pea-sized amount during those ages. Children younger than three should use even less – a “smear” – equivalent to a grain of rice in size. The problem is fluoride. While flouride in both toothpaste and water has resulted in significant prevention of tooth decay and cavities, the ingestion of too much fluoride while teeth are developing can result in visibly detectable changes in enamel structure such as discoloration. The CDC still recommends that brushing should begin “when the first tooth erupts”, and everyone should brush their teeth twice a day.
* Parents are crestfallen over the news.
* Uh … does the CDC know that baby teeth fall out?
* You probably shouldn’t mention peas when telling a kid what to do.
* Tomorrow: The CDC tells us we’re all still flossing wrong.
CLIP: Mel Brooks brushes his teeth in “High Anxiety”.
