WHY DO CHILDREN HAVE BAD BREATH?

Often we assume that because children are so young, they do not suffer from the same dental ailments that adults do. In reality, whether baby teeth or permanent teeth, children are still susceptible to the same dental problems that adults are. Because of this, a child with bad breath is a very real possibility. In order to understand what would cause a child to have bad breath, we need to examine what causes bad breath.

Bad Breath Causes

The condition of having bad breath is more formally called HALITOSIS This condition is a result of poor oral hygiene and can indicate that there are problems, such as cavities, in the mouth. In addition to poor oral hygiene, bad breath can be created or made worse by the types of foods that are ingested, especially if these foods are not followed up by a thorough teeth cleaning. This is especially true in children who tend to dedicate less time to brushing their teeth after meals and snacks.

Bad Breath and Oral Hygiene

Bad breath results when there is a buildup of old food in the teeth. In this case, the food particles can be brushed away to leave the teeth clean, and thus freshen the breath. When brushing, it is important to also brush the tongue where food residue, and bacteria, can remain, thus affecting the smell of the breath.

When these food particles are left on the teeth (for example, when the teeth are not brushed after eating), these particles can attract bacteria that lives to feed on the particles left on the teeth. This bacteria then cause plaque buildup, a mixture of food particles and bacteria. If left untreated, plaque works to eat away at the enamel of the teeth, causing tooth decay. Think of the decay of leaves or other vegetation, and imagine the smell. Over time, the decay starts to take on a very bad smell. The same happens in the mouth, thus causing bad breath. So, in order to treat the bad breath, the tooth decay needs to be cleaned up and any holes in the teeth need to be sealed.

Foods that Contribute to Bad Breath

Any and all foods have the potential to cause bad breath, especially when they are not rinsed from the mouth after consumption. However, even when teeth and tongue are brushed, bad breath can still result from certain foods. This is because food is broken down in the mouth (through chewing and saliva), then digested and absorbed into the bloodstream. Blood travels through the lungs, where it carries oxygen to vital areas of the body, which also means that you’re breathing out air from your lungs that has come in contact with this digested food. Thus, the smell comes out through your breath. This is true even if mouthwash, breath mints, brushing, and flossing are used. Very prominently smelling foods, like garlic and onion are often huge offenders of long-lasting bad breath because they come so prominently through the blood stream and into the air we exhale. Children, like adults are susceptible to both this, and poor oral hygiene bad breath