What Causes Bad Breath In Kids



Bad breath or Halitosis as it is officially called, can impact children for a variety of reasons.  You may notice it when they first wake up in the morning or when they’ve been running around outside. There a numerous causes of bad breath and each one may need to be treated differently depending on the cause. However, one thing is for certain bad breath should not be ignored.

A few of the reasons your child may have bad breath:

Food is the number one contributor of bad breath. Onions, Doritos and other strong tasting food leave their smell behind because once the food is digested it enters your bloodstream and is carried to your lungs. “Food that is left in your mouth can increase the amount of bacteria that is in floating around stuck to your teeth and gums,” says Dr. Cameron Fuller. The increase of bacteria causes odor-smelling vapors to release when your child is talking. Don’t be discouraged there is an easy fix to this type of problem. Have your child brush and floss after eating these types of food and if that is not convenient, a mint can freshen up their breath and have them back running around and playing with friends in no time.

Dr. Fuller reports, “Poor dental hygiene can be another cause of smelly breath.“ It is important to teach your children the proper way to brush and floss. This process can start early by wiping off your child’s gums when they are an infant and then moving into actually brushing their teeth when the first set comes in.  If poor hygiene appears to be the problem, go with your child to the store and allow them to pick out a cool new toothbrush. When they are brushing their teeth play their favorite song and have a timer set for two minutes for each quadrant (divide the mouth into fours) ensuring that they are reaching all surfaces of the teeth.

Dental decay can also cause bad breath. If your child’s bad breath lingers, schedule an appointment with Dr. Fuller and his team today! Bad breath is no joking matter.

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 14, 2014 at 3:52 PM

    Boy does my son need to hear about this. He has awful breath. I think it's because he doesn't brush like he should. We have him do it at night, but I think he puts toothpaste in his mouth just to trick us into thinking that brushed his teeth. http://www.silveradofamilydental.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownOctober 19, 2014 at 6:33 PM

      Hello Gerald,
      Yes, kids are sure smart. Keep working at it he'll get the hint that this is important.

      Delete
  2. UnknownOctober 20, 2014 at 12:33 PM

    I think this is why you should teach your children to have better brushing habits. The dentists always tell us to brush after every meal. Now that phrase makes even more sense. I will have to teach my children to brush more often.

    Zach | http://www.jamesjuliendds.com/about

    ReplyDelete

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