What happens if you eat toothpaste? The child has eaten toothpaste - what to do? What to do if you swallow toothpaste.

Some of the babies are quite capable of eating a full tube of toothpaste in one go. Parents, of course, do everything possible to prevent this from happening, but as soon as the cherished tube is left unattended, it falls back into little hands. The portal is ready to tell you what to do in case of such a nuisance.
If a child still swallows a little toothpaste, no matter if he does it on purpose or accidentally, it will not do him much harm. However, if this chemical product is periodically eaten, the child may develop toxicosis. In theory, you can reduce the risk by using a toothpaste without saccharin and also with a low fluoride content. Most experts recommend using fluoride-free paste for children under 2 years of age. A kid who has reached the age of two to five years is able to swallow a lot of paste with fluoride content, this just needs to be carefully monitored. You need to know a few rules:

There should be very little paste. Contrary to the common misconception, it is not a toothpaste that cleans a tooth, but a toothbrush. Many dentists claim that for a child, plain water is in many ways even better than toothpaste or foam. Just for the sake of fluoride, you should not use paste either, because the child receives enough fluoride from other sources. True, a stubborn kid may refuse to brush his teeth without toothpaste. In this case, it is enough to squeeze a small pea of \u200b\u200bpaste onto the brush and smear it well over the entire bristle so that it is difficult to lick it off. It is necessary to explain to the child that toothpaste is not food and is intended solely for brushing teeth.

Rinse your mouth very thoroughly. While brushing your teeth, a thorough rinsing of the entire oral cavity is a mandatory procedure. This is to remove all toothpaste and food debris. In a playful way, teach your child how to properly swing water in his mouth and spit it out. By the age of 2, most children are already coping with such a simple process. If the baby is unable to spit, brushing teeth with fluoride paste is strictly prohibited.

Remove toothpaste away. A tube of delicious aromatic toothpaste that lies in an accessible and visible place in the bathroom is a very big temptation for a child. You just need to hide the toothpaste as far as possible. Before you call your baby to brush his teeth, apply the paste to the brush in advance and remove it.

Even if the paste is thoroughly smeared on the bristles, the child can still suck it and swallow it. If this happens from time to time, and there are scandals about a portion of the pasta every day, stop using the pasta for a while. Tell your little one that you will only use it again when he learns how to brush his teeth correctly. In the meantime, you can replace the paste with tooth rinses or chewing gums that do not contain toxic substances and fluoride.

At first, my husband and I were glad that Maksimka every day, morning and evening, himself, without persuasion, runs to the bathroom to brush his teeth. We thought it was the result of our pedagogical work, we bought a book "why does a baby need to brush his teeth", interesting with bright pictures, toothbrush with his favorite cartoon character, and toothpaste, of course for children, with a strawberry flavor. But recently they began to notice that the tube of children's toothpaste is too fast to run out. We could not even think about the fact that the child ate toothpaste. Well, why, because at home there are always fruits, cookies or sweets, why does he need toothpaste.

They didn't guess for a long time, and once they took him and asked him directly, he of course said no, he didn't eat, he didn't touch, but his eyes ran suspiciously, and then everything became clear to me ...

The child ate toothpaste, is it dangerous?

Of course, there is nothing good in the fact that the baby ate toothpaste, but nothing terrible will happen either. Especially if the eaten toothpaste was for children. As a rule, they do not contain anything dangerous and they are made, just on the basis that the baby, due to inexperience, can swallow it.

Of course, the amount of pasta eaten is also of great importance, as well as the manufacturer.

But in general it is not dangerous.

Although, in some cases, vomiting, diarrhea, and also a rash may appear - as an allergic reaction to one of the constituent components - and this is the maximum.

Therefore, there is no need for panic. Observe the child, how he behaves, how he feels. If in doubt, or the baby is complaining about something, call an ambulance.

However, if the child has eaten toothpaste, ambulance it is better to call in any case, on the one hand for your calming, and on the other, for educational purposes. After all, children are afraid of doctors, so let the visit of an ambulance remain in the child's memory, and perhaps next time he will think before pulling something into his mouth. In the future, this will save you from unnecessary problems, because toothpaste is, one might say, the safest thing a child can inadvertently eat.

The child has eaten toothpaste, what should I do?

If a child accidentally swallowed the paste when brushing his teeth or ate a small amount of it, then you have no reason to worry about his health.

The likelihood of poisoning can appear if the child has eaten a tube of toothpaste, and even then it is not necessary. Here it is important to panic and choose a wait and see tactic. Observe the child, how he behaves, what worries him, what he complains about.

The first signs of toothpaste poisoning:

• Nausea;
• Vomiting;
• Stomach ache;
• Diarrhea.

As for the treatment, in this case it should be mostly symptomatic. Drink plenty of fluids tea, fruit drinks, milk, but by no means carbonated drinks.

When signs of poisoning appear, to remove toxins and harmful substances from the body, give the child a sorbent to drink. The best option in this case would be activated carbon or Enterosgel, at an age-specific dosage.

When the first signs of allergy appear, rash, itching, red spots - give an age-appropriate antihistamine. For these purposes, Fenistil, Zyrtec, Suprastin, in drops or tablets, are suitable.

Well, with this outcome of events, that is, with the manifestation allergic reaction or if symptoms of poisoning appear, it will be correct to call an ambulance. The doctor will prescribe further treatment and decide if there is a need for gastric lavage. And do not worry about this, there is nothing wrong with this procedure, it can be done on your own, but if you have no experience in this, it will be better if the doctor does it for the child. However, it almost never comes to this.

What if a child has eaten an adult toothpaste?

If the baby decided to eat toothpaste, but not for children, but for adults, then the likelihood of poisoning in this case increases. After all, an adult toothpaste contains many, to put it mildly, unhealthy for child's body substances which, if swallowed and enters the stomach, may cause poisoning. One of these substances is fluoride, which is not found in baby paste. And of course, the degree of likelihood of poisoning in this case will greatly depend on the volume eaten.

The still undeveloped body of a child and adolescent needs special care and attention. A growing body needs special hygiene products... And toothpastes are no exception. It is important that the manufacturer takes into account the physiological and behavioral characteristics of children.

In a teenager, the hormonal background of the whole body changes. The replacement of primary teeth with permanent ones has been completed, but the teeth are still growing and developing. At this time, it is more important than usual to keep the oral cavity clean. Moreover, the enamel has not yet become thick, and the load on the teeth has increased to that of adults, and sometimes even more. What are braces, which are more common in pediatric dentistry than in adults.

You should not stop monitoring the diet of a teenager:

• a sweet tooth, like a soda water lover, should not get too carried away with his favorite foods;
• the teenager should regularly brush his teeth, which should be monitored by the parents;
• special teen hygiene items should be purchased oral cavity.

Although it is not easy to teach a child to brush his teeth, the most important thing for a teenager is to give the right motivation.

But what happens if you eat toothpaste? Let's talk about this in the article.

About toothpastes for children

• fluorinated;

The latter should be used in case of individual child's intolerance to fluoride. This may be due to the high intake of this element with water and food. It is essential for the healthy development of any bone tissue, including teeth.

Important! A high fluoride content is also bad.

It's great that children's toothpastes taste good and smell good. This will allow you to choose just one that makes it easier for the baby to get used to brushing his teeth. It will be much more pleasant for him to carry out hygiene procedures for the oral cavity, feeling the taste, for example, of his favorite fruit or berry. This motivates the child to brush their teeth more often.

When choosing toothpaste for a young son or daughter, you should see if there are such components:

• fluorine compounds (eg, aminofluoride,);
• in the absence of fluorine, calcium compounds (for example, glycerophosphate);
• xylotol, to lower the acidity in the mouth;
• abrasive particles - they are harmful and should be avoided;
• natural ingredients - flavors, colorants, thickeners;
• vitamins, minerals - for additional positive effects;
• potentially toxic constituents such as blowing agents.

It is recommended to choose a paste so that it is not dangerous to accidentally swallow it. This makes it more comfortable and less stressful to use. Delicious pasta with good composition dramatically increases the chances of a teenager that he will quickly become accustomed to dental care.

Four important features of toothpaste

Many parents choose toothpastes for their children, focusing solely on the cost and brightness of the packaging, while often succumbing to loud phrases like "dazzling whitening" or "incredibly strong tooth protection." And here their huge mistake is that they do not study the composition.

Sensitivity

Healthy teeth don't need anything other than fluoride. But if the dentist diagnoses their sensitivity, strontium chloride (strontim chloride) relieves discomfort in the fluoride paste. Ideally, the fluoride content in the paste should be 1350-1500 units. a million. In other words - 0.145% by weight of the paste, or 1450 ppm.

Whitening

Toothpaste companies have gotten a head start in advertising their whitening products. But professionals say: more than half of toothpastes are not suitable. With their help, slight darkening on the enamel can still be eliminated. However, you will have to repaint your teeth white in the dentist's office. Much more effective than using any whitening pastes in this will help an ordinary mouthwash with a drinking solution after a cup of tea: this method will allow you to keep the enamel unpainted for longer.

Freshness

The one from whom everyone tries to stay away because of bad breath, probably at least once, but tried to improve the situation with the help of special pastes promoted by manufacturers with words like "fresh breath". So: such a paste helps in 22% of cases - gum inflammation, one of the causes of an unpleasant odor. The degree of effectiveness in periodontitis, from which it is also possible bad smell, is not clarified at all.

Important! Also possible reason halitosis are bacteria on the tongue. It also needs to be cleaned every time.

Foam

Toothpaste usually foams due to its sodium lauryl sulfate - SLS, aka sodium lauryl sulfate. Ordinary soap suds that wash away food residues from everywhere. But with hypersensitivity SLS gums can very easily cause. If the gums are sensitive, you should use a paste that does not contain this additive.

Crunching teeth

In some toothpaste, you can feel something like sand. This sensation is caused by silicon dioxide. It is the abrasive ingredient in the paste added there to remove calculus. However, under the packaging promising to get rid of strong plaque, there is a very aggressive paste that eliminates not only plaque, but also the enamel itself, causing injury to it. There is a dental office to change the color of teeth and fight against the tooth.

What happens if you swallow toothpaste?

A single drop of paste by a child is harmless. But eating it regularly is already dangerous: the child may develop toxicosis. But the likelihood of this can be reduced by using a paste that contains little fluoride, and does not contain saccharin at all.

Important! According to doctors, children under two years of age should not brush their teeth with a paste with a normal fluoride content at all: such a baby, and a child under five too, can swallow a large amount of such a paste, as a result of which food poisoning... Therefore, this must be carefully monitored.

Even a very good smearing of the paste on the brush does not eliminate the risk that small child it will just suck. If this happens all the time, you should just stop using the paste for a while. At the same time, it should be explained to the kid that the paste will be used again under two conditions: he must learn how to brush his teeth and stop swallowing the paste. For now, you can use the nursery chewing gum and a rinse for teeth. They should be free of fluoride and anything else that can cause poisoning.

But would something happen if an adult swallowed toothpaste?

The maximum safe amount of toothpaste eaten

Children's toothpastes have a pleasant smell, which makes them a desirable delicacy for the younger generation. And because of this, babies are often poisoned with it, having swallowed a critical amount of a hygiene product.

This is especially scary because many people cannot even imagine that the currently produced toothpastes are dangerous not only to health, but even to the user's life itself.

Interesting! Now there are a lot of synthetics in toothpastes, and more harmful than useful. Of course, the development of dentistry does not stand still, but some dentists do not even know which paste really does not entail danger.

There are many reasons for a more careful choice of pasta. Here are some of the substances that should not be included in the paste.

Triclosan. Antibacterial agent. It is found in a wide variety of personal care products from soap to mouthwash. In toothpastes, this component is designed to kill bacteria that cause various diseases... But according to research data, this ingredient itself is unsafe:

• it makes bacteria resistant to antibiotics;
• it is the cause of thyroid dysfunction;
• in men, it spoils the production of sex hormones, due to which the sperm becomes of lower quality.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium loret sulfate (SLES). Sodium lauryl sulfate is used for the following:

• cleaning of various surfaces;
• degreasing for engines;
• detergent for vehicles.

SLS is more likely to develop ulcers. This component reduces the protection of the oral mucosa against irritants that cause ulcers.

Sometimes the paste contains SLES. It is also an inexpensive foaming agent similar to SLS.

Strong abrasives. This is the fault of some pastes, mostly whitening ones. They are mainly such components and do the main "job" of cleaning teeth. At best, abrasives do mechanical cleaning of the enamel. At worst, they erase its top layer, like sandpaper. Silicon compounds, such as the oxide of this element, are mainly used as an abrasive in toothpastes. Calcium carbonate is not often used - in other words, chalk. It is not recommended to get carried away with tooth whitening with a paste: you can erase the enamel.

Fluoride, or fluoride. Fluoride is a recognized "fighter" against caries due to the fact that it remineralizes the tooth and creates fluorapatite on its enamel - a substance that protects molars from caries, as well as from destruction. That is why it used to be popular in advertising of toothpastes to mention the content of this element.

Yes, that's all true. But don't forget about toxicity. Too high a level in the body is no better than a deficiency, since it can cause the development of fluorosis: a pathology of the skeletal system. Doctors say that more than half of the cases of this disease occur precisely on the basis of the use of fluoride toothpastes.

Interesting! Since 1991, America has even had a law requiring manufacturers of fluorinated pastes to place a warning on packaging.

Even one swallowing of fluoride paste can be dangerous for a child. Children's options have a pleasant smell that seduces the child. This puts him at risk of ingesting a dangerous amount of the hygiene product. The strong swallowing reflex in children increases accidental swallowing, making the paste even more dangerous to use.

Death can occur when a child swallows the following portion of a tube of paste:

• two years old - 42%;
• four-year-olds - 56%;
• six years old - 70%.

About fluorine

To prevent development, it is best to use fluoride pastes in organic form. That is, it is important that olafyur or, as an option, aminofluoride can be found in the composition. There is less fluoride in children's pastes than in analogs for the adult population. For example, SPLAT Junior has such a fluorine content: in fluorinated foam of this element is 0.01%, and in pastes for children 3-8 years old it is only 0.05%. The paste can provide the dentition with fluoride and calcium, at best, by 30%.

We have listed far from all the problems caused by toothpastes, which include inexpensive, until recently popular, but therefore no less dangerous components. And therefore, among parents, an important, necessary and useful habit of reading is becoming increasingly common, from which, in fact, hygiene products for their children are made. That is why those pastes that cause allergies, undermine health or entail other dangers to the child are so quickly losing popularity.

Differences between children's toothpaste and analogue for adults

Pasta for children should differ from the "adult" one, and not only by the brightness of the packaging and the mark "for children" on it. It is important that it is completely safe for the child. So before buying pasta for a son or daughter, you should study all the available information in as much detail as possible. This is necessary so that the child does not swallow any substances with the paste that can harm his still fragile body.

The following is typical for baby paste:

• there is either no fluorine, or its amount is minimized. In the paste for babies, its content should not exceed 200 ppm;
• complete absence of bleaching ingredients;
• abrasive substances (calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate) are either absent altogether, or their concentration is minimized. You can take pastes with silicon dioxide / titanium: they are relatively gentle. For a child under four years old, paste containing more than 20 units should not be taken at all;
• there are no foaming components;
• preservatives (propylene glycol, propylparaben, sodium lauryl sulfate) are either absent or very few. Such substances allow the paste to be stored longer, but when a child swallows such a paste, carcinogens enter his body;
• useful substances in the paste should be. Best of all: casein, milk enzymes; glucose oxide, organic calcium;
• the child's pasta should be to his liking. A product with menthol and eucalyptus will not work here: the taste should be mild. But with dyes and artificial flavors (saccharin), if possible, you should not take.

Classifications of children's toothpastes

Children's toothpastes differ in two ways - the child's age and the effect of the product.

Classification by action:

• hygienic - to maintain cleanliness in the mouth, freshen the breath. No medicinal additives;
• therapeutic and prophylactic - from dental pathologies such as caries and periodontal disease, including for the prevention of these diseases.

By the age of the child.

The study of the most common remedies for each age will also help determine the paste for the child.

What components can benefit?

Enzymes like papain can be found in baby pastes. Thanks to them, the plaque becomes softer, it can even dissolve. Thanks to the content of lactic enzymes (lysozyme, lactoperoxidases, glucose oxidases, lactoferrin), the child's mouth becomes better protected from bacteria, plaque is removed from the teeth softer, local immunity becomes stronger, and saliva protects teeth better. Moreover, lactic enzymes better clean the enamel throughout the entire dentition. Thanks to the protein casein, the causing bacteria, it becomes more difficult to attach to the teeth, and calcium and phosphate build up in the enamel.

Important! Biologically active organic calcium from eggshells is also useful. Thanks to him, the enamel of milk teeth is formed better.

What to do if a child swallows pasta

If a child eats baby paste in the range from a third to a half of the tube, he must first be observed. If you feel worse, you need to see a therapist. But if a child has swallowed 1/3 of a tube of parents' paste, where there is much more fluoride, you should immediately contact a specialist!

You need to apply a little paste to the brush. The main job of cleaning your teeth is not done with the paste, but with the bristles of the brush. According to many experts, you don't need to spend money on a paste for a baby, ordinary water will cope with the same tasks just as well, perhaps even better. For fluoride, you shouldn't use a paste either. Toddlers have other sources of this element as well. Some stubborn little ones refuse to brush their teeth if there is no toothpaste on the brush. Then you can go for a little trick: squeeze out no more than a tiny pea of \u200b\u200bpaste onto the brush and carefully smear it over the bristles. This will make it difficult to lick off the toothpaste. It is also necessary to explain to the child that the paste is not food, that it can only be used in the same capacity as, for example, shampoo, only not for hair, but for teeth.

When brushing your teeth, rinse your mouth thoroughly several times. This is necessary to remove toothpaste and food debris from the mouth. You have to teach your son or daughter to chat with water in your mouth and then spit it out. To do this, it is useful to give the action such a character that the child perceives it as a kind of game. Most of children by the age of two can rinse their mouths. And if the baby has not yet learned how to do this, there should not be the slightest fluoride content in the paste at all!

If you leave a tube of pasta that your baby likes in an accessible place, your baby may not be able to handle the temptation. Therefore, the paste must be hidden where the child cannot get it. You can also resort to this trick: before calling your son or daughter to brush your teeth, apply the paste to the brush, and hide the tube. This simple technique can help save a lot of nerve cells, not to mention the safety of the child's health.

Video - General facts in a minute

Teeth cleaning is a necessary and daily hygienic procedure that guarantees long-term preservation and reduces the likelihood of developing problems with them for a very long period of time. That is why pediatric dentists recommend teaching children to brush their teeth from an early age - already at the age of one and a half to two years, the baby must independently (but with the obligatory presence of parents) carry out this hygienic procedure. It would seem that there is nothing complicated about this, but a large number of young mothers are worried about the fact that her child does not spit out toothpaste after brushing, but swallows it. Based on queries on various parenting blogs, the vast majority of parents face this problem. What is the risk of swallowing toothpaste by a child and how to deal with it?

First, you should reassure your parents - when using toothpastes for young children marked "0 to 3 years old" there will be no harm from swallowing toothpaste. The thing is that in the production of such pastes, age is taken into account, therefore they belong to the class of hygienic (that is, they practically do not contain medicinal components such as fluorides), preservatives are not used in the production of children's toothpastes, which reduces their shelf life - no more months after opening the tube, and it is advisable to store such a toothpaste in the refrigerator. Therefore, even if your child never spits out such toothpaste when brushing their teeth, it's okay. Only in case of intolerance to any component is it possible to develop an allergic reaction like urticaria - this circumstance requires replacing the toothpaste.

However, there is no harm in swallowing such toothpaste do not apply only if used correctly. It is necessary to apply to the toothbrush no more than a pea of \u200b\u200bsuch toothpaste and brush your teeth no more than twice a day. The problem is further complicated by the fact that such toothpastes have a pleasant smell and taste, so the child does not mind eating the whole tube at once. In this regard, you should keep baby toothpaste out of the reach of the child. If he nevertheless got to her, then this is fraught with the development of hives and indigestion.

However, this toothpaste will not clean teeth all their life, especially since children experience an increase in education with age, which requires a transition to more effective, therapeutic and prophylactic toothpastes. It is necessary to spit them out, since they contain a number of components (fluorides, antiseptics, surfactants), the ingestion of which is fraught with various disorders - headaches, pain in the stomach, intestinal dysbiosis. Therefore, it is necessary to change the toothpaste from children's hygienic to "adult" therapeutic and prophylactic only after the baby has firmly mastered the rule of spitting out toothpaste after brushing teeth. However, how and when should the child be taught to this rule.

Ideally, of course, for the child to know about the prohibition to swallow toothpaste even after the very first cleanings, that is, at the age of about one and a half years. However, in practice, this does not always work out - at this age, the main emphasis is on the very need for cleaning, which also does not always cause delight in little child... Therefore, dentists, together with child psychologists, have come to the conclusion that it is best to start teaching a child to spit toothpaste around the age of three. This choice of age is not accidental - firstly, at this time the child is already sufficiently socially adapted and is able to fulfill the requests and requirements of adults, and secondly, in most cases, the need to use therapeutic and prophylactic toothpaste occurs at about the age of four to five years. That is, the parents have about a year to wean the child from swallowing toothpaste until the time when it needs to be changed.

In order to conduct educational measures to wean the child from swallowing toothpaste was more effective, it is desirable to teach him to brush his teeth together. You can start talking about the need to spit out toothpaste like "you are now an adult, so ...". In no case can you intimidate a child with horror stories about swallowed toothpaste - impressionable children can develop emotional stress from this, and subsequent refusals to brush their teeth at school age, according to psychologists, originate from here. When correct execution brushing your teeth, it is imperative to praise the child, when swallowing, be sure to point out this fact to him. Over time, it will become habitual for the baby to spit out toothpaste and then the situation of switching to another toothpaste can be considered.

- Return to the section table of contents " "