Bad breath is often something that adults are aware of, but did you know that children can have halitosis, too? We think of children as having sweet smelling breath, but sometimes even toddlers can have smelly breath.<\/p>\n
The bacteria that causes halitosis lives on oral debris and the dental plaque on teeth. The bacteria feeds on sulfur-containing substrates, producing hydrogen sulfide in the process. It is this sulfide that gives off a rotten egg smell. The main odor causing sites in the mouth are the back of the tongue, the areas between the teeth and under the gum line.<\/p>\n
The most common cause of halitosis in children is poor dental hygiene and plaque buildup. Missed brushings leave the mouth primed for bacteria in the mouth to multiply, thus causing oral odor. \u00a0Flavored floss and a rotary toothbrush can make brushing more fun and effective for kids. \u00a0Teach your child to brush their tongue as well as their teeth. Do not give young children mouthwash or fluoride toothpastes or rinses<\/span>, which can be harmful when swallowed, and avoid breath mints which usually contain sugar and encourage bacterial growth.<\/p>\n Always keep in mind that it is possible for bad breath to be caused by an illness. If your child has an infection or congestion in the sinuses or nasal cavities, the post nasal drip can lead to bad breath. \u00a0If your child has stuck something up his nose, that can lead to an infection which causes bad breath as well as a smelly discharge and odor emanating from the nose. Tonsillitis can cause bad breath in children, especially if food gets caught in the crevices of the tonsils.<\/p>\n Don’t let bad breath go for more than a couple of weeks without knowing the cause. Visit your pediatric dentist to figure it out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bad breath is often something that adults are aware of, but did you know that children can have halitosis, too? We think of children as having sweet smelling breath, but sometimes even toddlers can have smelly breath. The bacteria that causes halitosis lives on oral debris and the dental plaque on teeth. The bacteria feeds […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":892,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n