WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- A pediatricians' group recommends children have fluoride treatments starting from six months of age or when their teeth are visible.
The new recommendation from the American Association of Pediatrics came with several other new suggestions for detecting and preventing diseases and conditions that often start in childhood, including depression, heart disease and HIV.
The AAP recommendation echoes one issued in 2014 by the American Association of Pediatric Dentists for parents to start treating children's teeth while they are infants.
"There is confirmation from evidence-based reviews that fluoride use for the prevention and control of caries is both safe and highly effective in reducing dental caries prevalence," the AAPD wrote in it's fluoride therapy guidelines.
Aside from fluoride varnish applications given at the doctor's office from 6 months to 5 years of age, doctors and dentists recommend children's teeth be cleaned with a smear of toothpaste up to age 3. From ages 3 to 6, a pea-sized amount of toothpaste should be used.
Guidelines from the AAPD also do not recommend children younger than 6 use over-the-counter fluoride rinse because of the potential to swallow higher-than-recommended levels of the fluoride.
