DH brushing 3yo teeth with adult paste

[Aintthatthetooth]

Just that really, turns out that DH has been putting adult Toothpaste on DS 3 toothbrush for over a month now. We have milk teeth Toothpaste in the house which he has been using for the 1 year old, but apparently everytime he's done morning or night teeth brushing over the last month or so he has been using adult Toothpaste on DS3. He said he thought he'd outgrown the baby one. To be clear, he still has all milk teeth, he's 3!
AIBU to think DH is a bit batshit for doing this and needs to stop immediately!?

Oh good point from PP though- I would definitely avoid whitening toothpastes for a DC though. Do you use those? But the fluoride isn’t an issue, because the content should be exactly the same.

Don’t think it matters hugely.

The age 3-5 toothpaste should have the same about of fluoride (1450) as adult toothpaste. 3-5 toothpaste usually just has a milder flavour.

If your 3yo can spit and is fine with mint flavour I’d just use standard toothpaste.

We live in an area where they don’t put fluoride in the tap water so were advised to use ‘adult’ toothpaste from birth.
Im sure it’s fine

You shouldn’t use milk teeth for a 3 year old if you mean milk teeth by aqua fresh. That is specifically for under 3s. Once they hit 3 then the recommended fluoride is the same as adult toothpaste. Even the 3-5 ones (eg little teeth but aqua fresh) have the same fluoride as adult toothpaste and it’s usually just a milder taste. If yours has a specific age on that is unusual. Most adult toothpaste is perfectly good so long a a 3 year old can tolerate the taste and spit it out. The only time I’d use baby toothpaste on a 3 year old is if they really couldn’t spit at all.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fluoride/

Look at the flouride ppm in the tubes - that is all that counts.

NHS says 3+ should use 1000+, which is same as many adult toothpastes. What matters is the amount on the brush.

The toothpaste should contain at least 1000ppm fluoride - can be kids or adults toothpaste. Avoid whitening toothpaste for baby teeth.

A smear of toothpaste up to age 3
A pea size of toothpaste age 3+
Spit don't rinse

Unless it's a whitening one it's fine, fluoride levels are often the same in child and adult toothpastes now and dentists often recommend children if they can tolerate the stronger flavour just use the adult one.

He doesn't spit it out yet, is this an issue then?

Not spitting it out is the same issue whether its children's or adults, just try and encourage him too and lots of praise when he does etc. The amount he needs on the brush is small anyway so probably not the end of the world.

I always used normal toothpaste on my kids teeth with no harm done.

Hmm isn't milk teeth for 0-2?

So he probably needs a toothpaste with more flouride now anyway.

The HV advised me to brush my babys teeth with adult toothpaste. That surprised me.

The milk teeth toothpaste has 1000ppm fluoride and is fine to use until its finished. Then use the little teeth one or a non whitening adult toothpaste.

If he's only been using a small amount, it's fine. But you need to check to make sure he is, and explain about why the milk teeth toothpaste exists, what the problems are with not using it or using too much of the other, etc. However,

there is perfectly good milk teeth Toothpaste in the bathroom cupboard, why choose the adult one instead of that?

Because he can't be bothered to put as much time and thinking into dealing with child-related stuff as you do and is relatively lazy and incompetent. I bet it's you who does the shopping, takes them to the dentist, actually talksto the dentist, does the planning, isn't it?

Over the 3 the amount of fluoride is the same as a normal adult toothpaste. Its fine if DC like the taste just only just a child appropriate amount

Yes. Use a pea sized amount and supervise and try really hard to get them to spit it out.

Our dentist'recommends using adult toothpaste from 2 upwards

That’s why it’s easier to keep them on the baby stuff a little longer. They’re all different. But you don’t want them swallowing high fluoride toothpastes very young

My dd is three and, as my dentist highlighted to me, the toothpaste for this age us the same ppm of fluoride as the adult ones, up from 800 to 1450. So if the taste is accepted there are no issues.

Our dentist said that brushing twice daily with an adult strength toothpaste was hugely important

Same here.

I was quite pleased actually, can’t be mithered with buying different toothpastes!

Not the whitening one though, we just use the basic Colgate or aqua fresh.

I'm convinced the 'children's' toothpaste is a marketing ploy anyway

"Because he can't be bothered to put as much time and thinking into dealing with child-related stuff as you do and is relatively lazy and incompetent. I bet it's you who does the shopping, takes them to the dentist, actually talksto the dentist, does the planning, isn't it?"

I think this is unfair, he is brushing the younger sibling with milk teeth one so it isn't lazy and the aquafresh milk teeth tube says 0-2 on assuming had outgrown is fairly normal. NHS advice is that adult toothpaste is fine and that it's the fluoride amount that matters

My dentist told me I shouldn't ever use the "baby" toothpaste and should use a small (like a smear) amount of adult toothpaste. My kids have always used adult toothpaste!

Yes, toothpaste shouldn’t be swallowed. Teach him to spit - he should be doing that by age 3.

Age-specific toothpaste never used to be a thing, any more than eg age specific cat food. It won’t have done any harm.