Fluoride Supplement Dose Calculator for Children (ADA/AAP Schedule)

How it works

Dose from the ADA/AAP schedule by age band (6 m–3 y, 3–6 y, 6–16 y) and water fluoride (< 0.3, 0.3–0.6, > 0.6 ppm) · Sodium fluoride (mg) = fluoride (mg) × 2.21

Dietary fluoride supplements (drops, chewable tablets or lozenges) are prescribed only for children at high risk of tooth decay whose main drinking water has little fluoride. The schedule endorsed by the American Dental Association (Rozier et al., 2010) and the American Academy of Pediatrics gives 0.25 mg a day from 6 months to 3 years, 0.5 mg at 3–6 years and 1 mg at 6–16 years when water has less than 0.3 ppm, half those amounts at 0.3–0.6 ppm, and nothing above 0.6 ppm or before 6 months. Labels often state the sodium fluoride amount, which is 2.21 times the fluoride content; too much fluoride while teeth are forming causes fluorosis (white spots).

Worked example

A 4-year-old whose well water contains 0.2 ppm fluoride falls in the 3–6 year band with low water fluoride, so the daily fluoride supplement is 0.50 mg fluoride — 0.50 × 2.21 = 1.11 mg of sodium fluoride.

Sources: Rozier RG et al. (2010) Evidence-based clinical recommendations on the prescription of dietary fluoride supplements for caries prevention: a report of the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs. JADA 141:1480–1489 · Clark MB, Keels MA, Slayton RL (2020) Fluoride use in caries prevention in the primary care setting. Pediatrics 146(6):e2020034637

Frequently asked questions