People always talk about how sweet baby breath is. There is a reason you don’t hear them melt over toddler breath or the breath of older kids. That’s because often times our kids breath changes over time. Sometime we even come to the conclusion that our kids have bad breath.
It’s never an easy thing telling a child that he or she has bad breath.
The situation can be much worse on the playground. Children will throw around terms like “Dragon Breath,” “Buffalo Breath,” “Godzilla Breath,” or even “Fart Breath.” It can really hurt a child’s feelings when that happens.
That’s why when we do smell it, we want to take action immediately to reduce the foul smell or hopefully eliminate it all together.
Possible reasons your child has bad breath:
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- Dehydration
- Poor Oral hygiene
- Mouth breathing
- Cavities
- Tonsils
- Medical condition
- Medications your child is taking
- Foul smelling food
Usually bad breath is not something serious but here are some tips we tell parents to prevent your child from having bad breath and some ways you can solve the issue.
The easy fixes: brushing, water and diet
A lot of times, some simple adjustments and return of good habits can eliminate really bad breath. Does your child brush their teeth twice a day for two minutes each time? That, along with flossing once per day, often can be the best healthy habit you can teach a child and one with the most benefit.
Water consumption is also key. Remove sugary drinks and replace with ice cold water to prevent buildup of plaque and germs that can cause bad breath. Also, go easy on foods with a lot of garlic or onions as those can cause bad breath. Try to replace with foods that fight bad breath like crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots and celery.
Take a look at the tongue
The tongue can sometimes tell the story of bad breath. Many of our patients will have a white coating or white spots on the tongue and that is a culprit of bad breath. Others might have little bumps on the tongue or the tongue might feel sore. The back of your tongue is harder to reach making it easier for tonsils to hold on to bacteria. If you start to see whiteness or notice your child complaining about their tongue, that would be something to bring up during your visit.
Mouth Breathing and medical problems
Bad breath can also be caused by things outside of one’s control, too: larger than normal tonsils, lack of saliva, allergies and health conditions. Those issues are more complex but it’s certainly not a result of lack of hygiene and more just bad luck.
Have you ever noticed if your child is a mouth breather? This can sometimes be the cause. Maybe their tonsils or adenoids are enlarged causing your child to breath out their mouth more. You will often here them snoring while they sleep if this is the case, too. Tonsils and adenoids can harbor bacteria and cause bad breath. If you notice any of these things, you’ll want to bring it up in your next appointment at Adaven.
Time to call Adaven
You’ll know it’s time to call us and make an appointment if, in addition to the bad breath, you’re seeing irritated or inflamed red gums, tooth decay or issues with crowns or fillings. Gums that are bleeding is also not a good sign.
When a patients comes to us with issues of bad breath, it’s hard not to sympathize with them. The social stigma and teasing due to bad breath can be hard to overcome.
It’s fairly common in kids and most of the time is not serious.
The good news is that bad breath is often treatable and temporary. If you have questions on the matter, feel free to give us a call anytime. We’re not only committed to oral health and hygiene, but also making you’re your child is as comfortable as possible.