Why does my child's breath smell?

A parent just asked me this question, and it's one that I hear frequently.  We usually think of bad breath, or halitosis, as an adult problem, but trust me, it's fairly common in kids too.  In adults, bad breath can sometimes be a sign of periodontal or systemic disease.  In children, this is rarely ever the case.  Halitosis in children is often caused by poor oral hygiene.  For these kids, a good cleaning by the hygienist, twice daily brushing of the teeth and tongue, and daily flossing (if their teeth touch) should do the trick.  

But I also commonly see halitosis in kids who have excellent oral hygiene.  In these kids, the culprit is usually the tonsils.  The tonsils are folds of tissue located behind the oral cavity, in the throat, and act as part of our body's immune function.  In between these folds are little pockets called tonsillar crypts.  Food often gets stuck in these crypts, and over time, can start to react with the normal bacteria in our body to produce an unpleasant odor.  You and I can easily remedy this issue by gargling with an over the counter mouth rinse.  Young children have a tough time with this.  You might want to have your child try with warm water first to see if gargling is even possible.  If you decide to use a rinse, make sure it doesn't contain alcohol and supervise them to ensure that they aren't swallowing it.  In my experience, kids under age 6 or 7 usually can't gargle.

Other factors that may contribute to bad breath would include things that trap food such oral appliances (braces, retainers, space maintainers, etc), loose baby teeth, and new teeth growing in.  Seasonal allergies and post nasal drip can also cause halitosis.  Tooth decay, sinusitis, and pharyngitis (throat infections) can also lead to bad breath.  Obviously if your child is experiencing other symptoms, such as fever or a productive cough, a visit to the pediatrician would be indicated.  If not, and you're just not sure what's going on, call your pediatric dentist.  In my practice, I'm happy to have patients stop by for a quick peek.  I welcome the opportunity to say hi, it can help anxious parents sleep better at night, and we don't charge for the quick check.

I hope this was helpful.  Feel free to post any questions or comments, and I'll be happy to respond.  You can also check out my website if you want to get in touch with me.

Happy Holidays! 

Dr. Jeremy Dixon

gramercykidsdental.com