A lot of people, whether by accident or just in the curiosity of finding what it leads to, end up swallowing toothpaste and sometimes, that too a lot of it. Among these, are mainly children who end up doing this. A lot of people are unaware of the fact that fluoride in toothpaste and a number of other inactive substances are not meant for regular human consumption.

Although it is rare, but this can sometimes prove to be poisonous not only for children, but for adults as well [phb_baby_name_generator]so, all of those adults who are swallowing the toothpaste and nor spitting it out, remember, you are doing this at your own risk. Although, there is not a lot of scientific research on this particular topic, but it is quite obvious that you are not supposed to do this. It is a big NO for all. So here, we will look at some of the side effects of swallowing toothpaste and also a number of treatments.

Swallowing Toothpaste by Children: Risk And Treatment 

Risks

Dental Fluorosis

This is a defect in tooth enamel that is caused by excessive intake of fluoride during the tooth forming years. These can be seen as cloudy white splotches and streaks on the teeth, although rare, this can also cause excessive brown or black staining. Children who ingest a lot of toothpaste are more likely to develop the brown and black staining on their front teeth.

Acute poisoning

Children who swallow a lot of toothpaste can suffer acute poisoning and in some of the cases, even death. Gastric pain, vomiting, nausea, dizziness and headache are some of the symptoms that are associated with it.

Impaired Glucose Metabolism

Ingestion of fluoride toothpaste can largely affect your blood glucose and insulin levels. The blood fluoride levels of just 95ppb can lead to an increase in the levels of glucose and a decline in insulin.

Skin Rashes

Women aged 20-50 years of age usually face the problems of skin rash however, the symptoms will significantly improve within a few days or a few weeks. Fluoride toothpaste can also cause stomatitis, generally called as mouth ulcers.

Other problems

Some of the most common side effects of swallowing toothpaste are nausea, vomiting and even abdominal pain. Apart from this, swallowing excessive toothpaste can also lead to blockages in the intestine which can prove to be a lot harmful in the long run.

Treatment for Swallowing Toothpaste by Children

One of the most important thing for one, is to keep a check on your child’s activity. You have to be extra careful to see if your child does not intake a lot of toothpaste on purpose. Oftentimes, a lot of children are fascinated by the colour of their toothpaste or even by the smell of it and they end up eating the whole of it from the tube itself. But even if that happens, the first and foremost thing is to seek an immediate medical help. Given below are number of solutions in case you or your child has ingested a lot of toothpaste, by mistake or on purpose. Read below to find more:

Mild cases

In cases where fluorosis has not affected the teeth in a severe manner, no treatment is required if the person finds the condition and appearance of his/her teeth as acceptable.

Severe cases

On the other side, cases where the damage done by the fluorosis is evidently visible as stains on the teeth, you should consult a dentist. He will help you determine which type of restoration will be the most appropriate for you depending on the condition of your teeth.

Whitening treatments

The affected areas will be a lot white as compared to the natural colour of your teeth. For this, one of the solutions that you can rely on, is the teeth whitening treatment. This can help you reduce the mismatch of the colours that is currently evident on your teeth.

Resin infiltration

This new technique can help to provide a best solution for both, mild as well as severe cases. In this procedure, a plastic resin helps in filling the areas of enamel porosity that is caused by fluorosis.

However, one of the most important question that arises here is that whether excessive ingestion of fluoride can cause diabetes in children. This condition is generally caused due to high glucose levels. As fluoride can cause high glucose levels and decrease insulin levels, thereby, this condition should be handled with utmost care. You should immediately contact your health care provider in case the condition deteriorates.