Kids start brushing teeth too late, CDC says
Most children also using too much toothpaste
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WPVI) -- According to a CDC report, most children start brushing their teeth later than they should.
Instead of starting when their first tooth comes in, the report says they're starting at two or three-years-old, sometimes even older.
In addition, they're not always brushing twice a day.
That allows plaque and tartar build-up, leading to cavities.
Bacteria also builds up in the body, possibly leading to infections.
The CDC also says many kids are using too much toothpaste.
"Once children are at the age of two, we recommend that they use the amount of toothpaste that's the size of a grain of rice; and between the ages of three and six, they can just do a pea-sized amount of fluorinated toothpaste on the toothbrush," says Dr. Kimberly Giuliano of Cleveland Clinic Children's.
Dr. Giuliano says excess toothpaste causes deposits, pits, and discolorations on teeth - a condition called fluorosis.
Those stains are permanent.
