Dentistry/fluorosis

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Expert: - 11/19/2004


Question
My daughter is 33 months old. I am concerned that we may have been causing her to have fluorosis in the future. For well over a year, we have used toothpaste with fluoride. She swallowed the paste every time, and we brushed twice a day. We did use a pea size amount, but nevertheless, she swallowed. Also, our drinking water has fluoride in it and she drinks a ton of water everyday. I did not know about fluorosis until recently, and now I am upset. Honestly, how much damage do you think we could have done so far? Is she doomed to have horrible white spots or worse on her permanent teeth based on what we have done?

Answer
Dear Jade,
Please do not worry.  The regimine that you have described will not cause your daughter to have flourosis when she is older.  At 33 months of age only the bottom third of the biting  edge of  her permanent have begun to form. Nothing you have  described should cause you concern.
Most people dont understand that fluorosis refers to  a full range of tooth colors. Just like if you were to paint a kitchen wall white you could  have white color that ranged from ivory white to a  creamy white.
Keep up the good work, don't worry about what some alarmist have told you. Were she to develop fluorosis (highly unlikely) it would be of the mildest  variety, and  only detectable by an expert. In fact mild types of fluorosis  are highly attractive.
Remember that you want to continue using just a tiny bit of fluoride toothpaste on your daughter's brush and as your daughter  gets older you can teach her to spit it out.
Dr. S J MOSS

Dentistry

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Stephen J. Moss

Expertise

I am a professor emeritus at New York University, with a background that includes extensive research, scientific writing and biology. I also am an international consultant in health education, particularly in developing education on new science for health professionals and consumers. I am a past president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, former head of the NYU Division of Oral Biology and I represent the World Dental Federation at the United Nations. I travel around the world to provide health education to professionals and consumers.

Experience

Having retired from New York Universit, where I directed the pediatric dentistry training program, a walk-in dental clinic and research on oral biology, I formalized my professional and consumer health education initiative in the form of Health Education Enterprises. This entity consults and provides information on new science pertaining to oral and general health, particularly leading edge concepts that can be employed in the health professions to improve the public's health. As such, I am an expert in communicating new science and its usefulness to professional and lay audiences alike. I also had a pediatric dentistry practice in New York City for nearly 30 years.

Organizations
I am affiliated with the American Dental Association, the World Dental Federation, the International Association of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry among other formal organizations. My experience has included a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health and work at the Forsythe Dental Research Center

Publications
lpha Omegan USA, Nowa Stomatologia Poland, Journal of Public Health Dentistry, The Journal of the Southeastern Society of Pediatric Dentistry USA, News Bulletin Japan, Journal of Marmara University Dental Faculty Turkey, Italian Journal of Paediatric Dentistry Italy, Asian Dentist Singapore, The Journal of the Israel Dental Association Israel, ROBRAC Brazil, Italian Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
Italy, FDI World, STOMA Portugal, Pediatric Dentistry The Philippines, Modern Stomatology Bulgaria, Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry India

Education/Credentials
I obtained a doctor of dental science (DDS) degree, a master of science degree and am a board certified pediatric dentist.

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