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Objective: To determine the weight of dentifrice and consequent amount of fluoride placed on a toothbrush by the mothers of young children when instructed to apply a pea-sized quantity or smear of two dentifrices containing different fluoride concentrations from tubes with round or star-shaped nozzles., Subjects and Methods: 53 mothers participated in the study and each applied the eight possible combinations of dentifrice in a random order., Results: The mean weight of dentifrice, and therefore fluoride, applied was statistically less for the smear instruction than the pea but the difference was small. Significantly less weight of Colgate 0-6 gel was applied when compared with Colgate Great Regular Flavour (GRF) but the nozzle shape had no significant effect on the weight of dentifrice applied., Conclusions: The difference in fluoride concentration between GRF (1450 ppm F) and Colgate 0-6 gel (400 ppm F) was the most important determinant of the amount of fluoride applied.