What happens if your kid swallows the toothpaste?

Question

I read on the tube that you should call poison control if you child swallows more toothpaste than is used for brushing...but why? What is the danger, what does it do? There is flouride in our water isn't there, what can happen?

Answer 1

I think it's more of a worry when the child is very small, but here's part of an article that I found on it.

Swallowing Toothpaste — A Danger To Children

Pediatrics for Parents,  April, 1998  

New Food and Drug Administration rules require that all fluoride toothpastes and dental care products shipped as of April 7 have new warning labels warning of the dangers of swallowing too much toothpaste. Three ingredients in toothpaste that pose health risks:

* sorbitol, a laxative that can cause diarrhea in children

* sodium lauryl sulfate, which can also cause diarrhea

* fluoride, which, in high doses, is a poison that can also cause fluorosis, which discolors or spots developing teeth.

The second link has a different viewpoint.

Answer 2

I've often wondered that. It's the only product that clearly on the label says to call poison control if ingested and yet it is designed to be used in our mouths. It probably won't KILL you if ingested but perhaps it will make you sick (and since kids have a tendency of eating sweet stuff, I can see a little kid ingesting a whole tube.)

Answer 3

i think it doesnt digest well in the tum tum.

lol

but yea, it isn't good to swallow it

unless you swallow tad bit while brushing

Answer 4

It won't do much harm in that small amounts

Answer 5

If you child swallows the toothpaste he/she has been brushing with...nothing will happen.  If they injest the better part of the tube of toothpaste...then they will likely get sick as they will upset their tummy.  If they swallow a lot of fluoride a lot of the time, they may get fluorosis of any teeth that are still developing.

if they injest a bag of fluoride used to fluoridate the water....they could die, as fluoride in very high doses (as with pretty much any compound) can kill.

Answer 6

I think it is basically letting you know that if you walk into the bathroom and your baby is sitting there with an empty tube and a white ring around their mouth...it might not be such a healthy thing!