- With Mayo Clinic emeritus consultant
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Jay Hoecker, M.D.
Dr. Jay Hoecker, an emeritus member of the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, brings valuable expertise to health information content on primary care pediatrics. He has a particular interest in infectious diseases of children.
He's a Fort Worth, Texas, native, certified as a pediatrician by the American Board of Pediatrics and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was trained at Washington University's St. Louis Children's Hospital, and in infectious diseases at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1989.
"The World Wide Web is revolutionizing the availability and distribution of information, including health information about children and families," Dr. Hoecker says. "The evolution of the Web has included greater safety, privacy and accuracy over time, making the quality and access to children's health information immediate, practical and useful. I am happy to be a part of this service to patients from a trusted name in medicine, to use and foster all the good the Web has to offer children and their families."
Infant and toddler health (7)
- Baby sign language: A good idea?
- Flu shots for kids: Does my child need a flu shot?
- Baby Einstein DVDs: Good for infant development?
- see all in Infant and toddler health
Newborn health (9)
- Low milk supply: What causes it?
- Uncircumcised penis: Is special care needed?
- Baby poop: What's normal?
- see all in Newborn health
Infant health (19)
- Infant formula: Is tap or bottled water better?
- Breast-feeding strike: Why do babies refuse to nurse?
- Baby fat: When is it cause for concern?
- see all in Infant health
Toddler health (5)
- Discolored baby teeth: A cause for concern?
- Poinsettia plants: Are they poisonous?
- Toddler speech development: Are 2-year-olds understandable?
- see all in Toddler health
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Question
Infant formula: Is tap or bottled water better?
Is it safe to mix fluoridated tap water with infant formula? I've heard that too much fluoride can harm a baby's teeth.
Answer
from Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
You can safely use fluoridated tap water to prepare infant formula. Exposure to fluoride during infancy helps prevent tooth decay.
However, regularly mixing powdered or liquid concentrate infant formula with fluoridated water might increase your child's risk of developing faint white markings or streaks on the teeth — a sign of mild enamel fluorosis.
Fluorosis is a cosmetic issue that affects both baby teeth and permanent teeth while they're forming under the gums. In young children, combined fluoride exposure from all sources contributes to fluorosis. This includes the fluoride in fluoridated water, foods and drinks made with fluoridated water, and fluoridated toothpaste and mouth rinses — especially if these products are swallowed.
Fluorosis can't develop or worsen once permanent teeth break through the gums.
If you're concerned about fluorosis, consider ways to minimize your baby's exposure to fluoride.
For example, you might use ready-to-feed formula or alternate between tap water and low-fluoride water — such as purified, demineralized, deionized or distilled bottled water — to prepare concentrated formula.
Remember, though, early exposure to fluoride helps prevent tooth decay. If you feed your baby only ready-to-feed formula or concentrated formula mixed with low-fluoride water, your baby's doctor might recommend fluoride supplements beginning at 6 months.
Next questionBreast-feeding strike: Why do babies refuse to nurse?
- Overview: Infant formula and fluorosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/FLUORIDATION/safety/infant_formula.htm. Accessed Oct. 23, 2012.
- Dental fluorosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/FLUORIDATION/safety/dental_fluorosis.htm. Accessed Oct. 23, 2012.
- Fluorosis. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/5576.aspx?currentTab=1. Accessed Oct. 23, 2012.
- Guideline on fluoride therapy. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://guidelines.gov/content.aspx?id=14220. Accessed Oct. 23, 2012.
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