New labels hitting the shelves go so far as to warn that too much toothpaste can actually poison small children. Parents are urged to keep toothpaste out of the reach of children under six years old and to call a poison control center in the case of an overdose. Dentists call this new warning overkill. In fact, there has never been a reported case of toothpaste poisoning, and the American Dental Association calls the warning unnecessary. Even if your child ate a whole tube, the results probably wouldn't be lethal.
Most kids recover within a few hours.
Even so, the best advice for parents is to make sure that kids spit out toothpaste after brushing. The same warning applies to fluoride mouthwash. Poison control centers say they have gotten almost two and a half times the number of calls from concerned parents since the new labels appeared, but no reports of serious injuries.