Use of Toothpaste and Toothbrushing Patterns Among Children and Adolescents — United States, 2013–2016 | MMWR

Use of Toothpaste and Toothbrushing Patterns Among Children and Adolescents — United States, 2013–2016 | MMWR

Kids are loading their toothbrushes with too much toothpaste, CDC says

Kids are using way too much toothpaste, according to a new study from the CDC. Researchers report that nearly 40 percent of U.S. kids ages 3 to 6 are spreading too much toothpaste on their toothbrushes. Kids at that age shouldn’t be using more than a pea-sized blob of toothpaste so they don’t swallow too much fluoride, health officials say. The study also found that nearly 80 percent of parents with babies aren’t brushing their baby’s teeth as soon as the first tooth erupts, which the CDC recommends.