Fluoride in toothpaste is useful and not harmful in the recommended amount. It makes enamel more resistant to acid and helps repair early damage. The Swiss recommendations provide for fluoride toothpaste from the first milk tooth, in the amount that suits the age. If you still prefer to do without, it is best to discuss it with us. Then we pay all the more attention to your risk of decay.
Updated: 14 November 2026
- Fluoride protects against decay, as studies show. It works directly on the tooth surface.
- The amount matters: children's toothpaste for children, the size of a pea.
- Spit out after brushing and rinse only a little.
How fluoride works
Fluoride works mainly directly on the tooth surface. It slows down acids dissolving minerals from the enamel and helps put them back. That is why daily contact during brushing counts. What is taken in through drinking water and food in Switzerland is not enough for this.
How much is right?
The Swiss recommendations:
| Age | Toothpaste | How often |
|---|---|---|
| from the first milk tooth | children's toothpaste with 500 ppm fluoride, only a little | up to 2 years once a day in the evening, parents brush |
| from 2 years | children's toothpaste with 500 ppm, the size of a pea | twice a day |
| from the first permanent molar, at the latest at 6 years | junior or adult toothpaste up to 1,500 ppm | twice a day |
| adults | regular toothpaste up to 1,500 ppm, about 1 cm | at least twice a day |
You will find the fluoride content on the tube, given in ppm. For children with an increased risk of decay, a toothpaste with 1,000 ppm can make sense from the age of two. We discuss this at the check-up.
That is the maximum amount of fluoride in an adult toothpaste. For small children, a third of that applies.
Swiss Dental Journal SSO, Update Fluorid, 2020“I've read that fluoride is toxic.”
The amount decides, as with salt or vitamins. In the amount found in toothpaste, fluoride has been studied for decades and is safe, including what is swallowed while brushing. Too much fluoride over a long period while teeth are developing can leave white streaks or spots in the enamel of the permanent teeth, known as fluorosis. That is why for small children: children's toothpaste, a small amount, and no additional fluoride tablets without asking. Read more in “White spots on teeth: where they come from”.
Fluoride in salt
Table salt with fluoride has been available in Switzerland since 1983. It adds to the toothpaste and is meant for the whole family, including children as soon as they eat at the family table.
If you prefer to do without
We respect your decision. So that your teeth are still well protected, everything else counts all the more:
- sweet things less often, and rather with meals than in between
- brush thoroughly and clean between your teeth daily
- come regularly for check-ups and dental hygiene, so that we see early decay early
Toothpastes with hydroxyapatite are offered as an alternative. The research on them is still much smaller than for fluoride.
More protection with an increased risk of decay
From the age of six, with an increased risk, a fluoride gel once a week or a daily fluoride rinse can be added. In the practice, a fluoride varnish is added where needed, for example on newly erupted molars or early decay. Read more about rinses in “Mouthwash: worth it or not?”.
How high your risk of decay is, we see at the check-up.
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