(Sigh) Who's right - dentist or health visitor?

[Feenie]

(I'm not betting on the health visitor.)

I was told by hv several months ago that I should brush ds's teeth with adult toothpaste, since the water in our area is not fluoridated. I have dutifully done this. However, the dentist says only 2 areas in the UK are fluoridated anyway, and that I should use baby toothpaste, as brushing with adult toothpaste may cause ds's adult teeth to have white spots.

Who is right? And since I have been using adult toothpaste on him for 7 months, have I done the damage already? Anyone know? Thanks.

I'd say dentist, adult toothpaste is pretty high in flouride and too much is not a good idea - some suggest it is carcinogenic and/or can lead to calcium being leached from the bones. If you have been brushing his teeth yourself I'm sure it's fine, it's more of a problem when they get to the age of wanting to do it themselves and just suck loads of toothpaste off the brush rather than actually brushing

Oh dear. Ds is v independent, so we've been doing mummy's turn/his turn with brushing for ages. Hopefully it's mostly water by then.

I have been told by dentists to use adult toothpaste as children's toothpaste do not have enough flouride. On the other hand the adult toothpastes have a much stronger flavour than the children's ones so my kids will only use chldren's toothpaste!

Our health authority recommends toothpaste with 1000 parts per million of flouride.
This is the strength of a basic adult toothpaste

BIL (the dentist) advises child toothpaste .. if adult toothpaste on occasion a very small amount

I'd heed the dentist tbh

Sorry didn't mean to worry you, am sure it's fine, most of the anti-flouride lobbying comes from countries where it is added to the water supply i.e the US. There is an alleged link with bone cancer. We lived in a country where the water supply was flouridated, and my eldest DD actually has flouridosis which is damage to the enamel caused by too much flouride - she was formula fed as well which obviously increases the risk when there is flouride in the tap water. The enamel on her molars is actually crumbling away in places. If you're just talking about toothpaste it should be fine, but I still think you'd be better off which a children's toothpaste or just use a tiny amount of adult toothpaste and encourage him not to swallow.

we have a private (i.e. not mains) water supply, which has no fluoride. Dentist says to use toothpaste with 1000 ppm of fluoride, BUT ONLY A SMEAR, not a brushful. Problem is, finding a toothpast that does not taste of mint (which dd hates), and contains adult amounts of fluoride!