D'oh

So how many of you parental types have fallen for the trick of buying different toothpaste for all your different aged children?

I put my hands up!

Every since Honey Bee was teeny tiny I religiously bought Aquafresh Milk Teeth (0-3y), naturally progressing to 'Little Teeth' (4-6y) and then 'Big Teeth' (6+). Only recently, having run out of one of either Little Teeth (used by Missy Moo and Sweet Pea) or Big Teeth, did I take the plunge and try Colgate's equivalent brand of their 'Smiles' range and the girls were converted! Honey Bee had previously been allowed to be fussy about tastes and had kicked up a fuss when I tried to get her to use a different brand!

However, one evening when my mum was round helping with bath and bed routine at the request of Sweet Pea, I was reminded that 'when you were a child, we didn't have or certainly didn't buy different toothpastes for you - we all used the same one'. It made me think initially, well that was probably because there just wasn't the availability of different ones 'in those days....' (How old does that make me feel?!!!). Or perhaps the marketing teams were just not up to the level they are today so nobody had though about promoting a product specific to differing ages as a way to increase revenue, profit and brands?

Whatever the reason, it didn't stop me being inquisitive!

And there it was! D'oh I had been sucked in by all the marketing hype! 

The Department of Health say that 'children should be using a toothpaste with between 1350-1500ppm of fluoride.' This is for children aged 3 years or older and children under 3 should use toothpaste with a fluoride level of at least 1000ppm.

Just to add to all the confusion, I have noticed that Aquafresh appear to have dropped their Milk, Little & Big Teeth range (though I think they are still in shops) and introduced a new kids range including a 'Training' toothpaste that is fluoride free! 

Now I am no dental expert and certainly don't claim to be! I know I could spend hours researching it all but frankly I haven't got the time! What I do understand is that younger children should theoretically use less fluoride but again this can be influenced by just your local water supply and how much fluoride is in it!! 

The point I guess I set about trying to make was/is, certainly for older children, more specifically my own Honey Bee (and Sweet Pea I guess) you shouldn't really need to buy separate toothpaste as an 'adult' toothpaste generally has 1400ppm of flouride and that is exactly what is in the 'older children' toothpaste!! Call it what you like, maybe a bit of a con and I certainly feel a little silly for falling for it but I know all these companies just set out to make money so they can pay their chief exec's fat bonuses!!

Cynical? Me?........!!!