Here’s something many BC families may not know: most communities in British Columbia do not add fluoride to their drinking water, and naturally occurring fluoride levels are generally low.
That means fluoride toothpaste plays an especially important role in helping protect your child’s teeth from cavities.
What Does Fluoride Actually Do?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that helps strengthen tooth enamel and makes teeth more resistant to the acids and bacteria that cause cavities.
It can also help repair the early stages of tooth decay before a cavity fully develops.
How Much Toothpaste Should Your Child Use?
Fluoride toothpaste is recommended from your child’s first tooth. The amount is what changes as they grow:
- First tooth to age 3: a small smear, about the size of a grain of rice
- Age 3 and older: a pea-sized amount
Young children should always be supervised while brushing and encouraged to spit out the toothpaste.
The Brushing Rule: Spit, Don’t Rinse
After brushing, encourage your child to spit out the excess toothpaste, but avoid rinsing with water right away.
Rinsing washes away the fluoride before it has time to continue protecting the enamel. Leaving a small amount of fluoride on the teeth provides longer-lasting protection, especially after brushing at bedtime.
What Matters Most
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Brush twice a day for two minutes
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Use fluoride toothpaste
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Use the correct amount for your child’s age
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Encourage your child to spit, but not rinse
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Supervise young children while they brush
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Ask us about fluoride varnish at your child’s next checkup 1
Using only the recommended amount helps minimize swallowing while still providing effective protection against cavities.
In BC, Fluoride Toothpaste Does More of the Heavy Lifting
Because fluoridated drinking water is not widely available in British Columbia, choosing a toothpaste that contains fluoride is an important part of your child’s daily oral health routine.
Check the label, use the right amount and help your child build healthy brushing habits from the very first tooth.