2 year old loves to eat toothpaste

Chloie - posted on 04/05/2010

my son eats it 2 he's 2 i just limit it otherwise im sure he would just eat the whole thing. use just water if he eats to much brushing i better than not brushinng at all

Jennifer - posted on 03/28/2010

If you swallow too much fluoride you can develop fluorosis which is the condition you described. However you still need a tiny amount for strong teeth, as long as you use a pea size amount as stated on the tube the child will not ingest too much fluoride. Also children shouldn't swallow toothpaste because the chemical used to prevent the toothpaste drying out is a laxative and therefor can cause diahorrea.

Lyndsay - posted on 03/27/2010

Jennifer... fluoride is essential for strong teeth, you're right there. But fluoride is also bad for you when its swallowed, and if you swallow too much it can lead to a permanent condition in your teeth where the tips are white and see-through. I forget what it's called, but I had a similar problem and I was told by a dental hygienist to use fluoride free toothpaste until my son stops eating it because its better for his teeth in the long run.

Jennifer - posted on 03/24/2010

Do you use children's fruit flavoured toothpaste or mint flavoured? If you are using a fruit flavoured one try a mint one - he's less likely to want to eat it. I wouldn't recommend using fluoride free toothpaste as fluoride is essential for strong teeth etc.

Lyndsay - posted on 03/17/2010

Just use fluoride free toothpaste. Then it doesn't matter if he sucks it off, and you can use enough to clean his teeth despite the sucking.

Burke - posted on 03/13/2010

my 2 year old son does this too. must be mommy instict because i only put a very little amount of toothpaste also. i don't worry too much about him sucking it off the brush 'cause he does kinda brush his front ones as he does it.

kids learn best by example: I brush when he does and try to get him to brush the back ones by showing him how i brush my back teeth. also, when i'm finished and he has sucked most of the toothpaste off, i hand him my toothebrush and take his and tell him to brush mommy's teeth and i'll brush his. he usually fusses and sometimes its a fiasco but sometimes i am able to brush his back teeth pretty well.

Hope this helps!