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• Banish Bad Breath And Gum Disease!
• Bad Breath Cure Revealed
• The Bad Breath Report: Cure Bad Breath The Quick & Easy Way!

• Avoiding the Embarrassment of Bad Breath
• Dealing with Halitosis
• Stopping Bad Breath
• Bad Breath in Pets
• Halitosis Myths and Reality
• The Importance of Good Oral Hygiene
• Acid Reflux Disease and Bad Breath
• Occassional, Situational, and Chronic Bad Breath
• Bad Breath in Children
• Bad Breath and Radiation Therapy

Bad Breath in Children

As adults, we know bad breath can be embarrassing.  Bad breath or what is medically know as halitosis can be especially embarrassing for children.  Bad breath can be a symptom of different conditions including post nasal drip, dry mouth, and dental problems.

Most of the time, bad breath in children is not serious.  Bad breath in children is mostly due to poor oral hygiene.  When food gets stuck in the mouth, food begins to rot and that causes bad breath. These decomposing food particles cause bacteria to grow and this bacterium produces a sour smell. Sometimes in children, food particles can get caught in the tonsils which could also lead to bad breath.

Children will often put things in their mouths such as dimes, crayons, and even bugs.  These items can break the skin and cause infections.  These infections can also cause bad breath.  If your child has a foreign object stuck in their mouth, do not try to take the item out of the mouth.  Call a doctor and have it professionally removed.

Oral fungal infections cause bad breath in children as well.   Children who are undergoing chemotherapy are prone to oral fungal infections.  These infections produce a sweet odor.  Oral cancer and the treatment of it can cause the destruction of tissue, bleeding and necrosis which means the accidental death of cells and living tissue.  The resulting oral debris makes the mouth an ideal place for anaerobic bacteria to form.  This bacterium produces offensive gases that released through the mouth.

Post nasal drip is the most common cause of halitosis in children.  Secretions form a sinus infection, a runny nose, or a nasals allergy drip down the back of the throat and onto the tongue.  Bacteria that causes odor thrive on these secretion and produce volatile sulfur compounds.  These gases cause bad breath in children.

Children with tonsil problems can also develop bad breath.  If a child’s tonsil develops deep crypts, food and debris will accumulate in them, producing halitosis.

Something classed tonsilloliths can form as well.  These are small soft, whitish yellow secretions which produce foul odor as they break up.  Finally, Children on certain medications such as antihistamines or anti-psychotics often experience halitosis.

Surprisingly, there are some psychological issues related to halitosis.  Pseudo halitosis is a term used when bad breath does not exist but the child or parent believes it does.  If a child or parent still believes that bad breath exists after a successful halitosis treatment, the problem in now defined as halitophobia and the assistance of a psychologist will be necessary.

So how do parents help a child treat bad breath?  Routine oral hygiene is very important.  Children should brush their teeth regularly and rinse their mouth frequently with water since alcohol based mouth rinses can harm mouth tissue. Children should also floss regularly.   Remember, children under the age of 8 usually cannot floss by themselves.  If a child has dry mouth, make sure the child drinks a lot of sugar free fluids.  Sugarless gum can help as well.  If the child is diagnosed with periodontal or other disease, surgical treatment may be necessary.

Good oral hygiene and regular checkups will help keep your child’s mouth healthy.