When Should Kids Switch From Training Toothpaste To Regular Toothpaste?

If you have an infant or young toddler child right now, you probably understand that taking care of this child's teeth is important long before the child even has all of his or her teeth. To care for a young child's teeth, you can use a warm rag to wipe off the gums, and you can begin brushing the child's teeth with a small toothbrush and the right type of toothpaste. Training toothpaste is ideal for really small children. Here are several things to know about this type of toothpaste and making the switch to a regular type of toothpaste.

What Training Toothpaste Is

If you have ever browsed through the toothpaste aisle of a store, you may see dozens of different types of toothpaste products. You may even notice that the kids' section of toothpaste has dozens of different options too. One option you will likely see is training toothpaste. Training toothpaste is a product designed to clean the teeth of young children, and this product is free of fluoride. Using training toothpaste on a young child's teeth is the best and safest way to clean his or her teeth.

When to Switch

A big question many parents have about this is when they should switch from training toothpaste to regular toothpaste. Most dentists will tell you that you should make this switch when your child is ready. There is no designated age to refer to that will tell you when your child is ready, as all kids are different. The main factor to consider is that your child should be able to spit out the toothpaste from his or her mouth really well before you switch. This may be at the age of 2 for some kids, but other kids might not be ready until they are 4 or 5 years old.

Why Switching Is Not Something to Rush

The main reason you should not rush into switching is that training toothpaste works great to clean teeth and does not have the risks of fluoride toothpaste. If your child swallows fluoride toothpaste, it can cause stains to develop on his or her teeth later in life. Swallowing fluoride as a young child is not healthy or good for teeth, and this is why you should not rush into switching.

If you care for your young child's teeth really well, it can help you protect his or her teeth, which means that your child will grow up with stronger and healthier teeth. To learn more about caring for your child's teeth, talk to a dentist who works at a kids' dentistry.