Bad breath in kids
The scientific term for bad breath is halitosis. The various causes of bad breath include:
- Any infection in the tooth or gums
- Poor oral hygiene due to improper cleaning of teeth
- Tongue coating due to improper cleaning of the tongue
- Dehydration due to inadequate intake of water or other fluids
- Improper bowel movement or any other problems in the gut or digestive tract.
- Mouth breathing can cause bad breath due to dryness of the gums and the mouth.
- Any infections in the nose, throat, or respiratory tract.
- Certain foods like onions, garlic, etc
If the child has an infection in his/her tooth or gums, it can lead to bad breath. Plaque buildup on teeth due to improper brushing and flossing can cause gum inflammation which can also be an important cause of bad breath. Along with daily tooth brushing and flossing, it is also important to clean your tongue. Tongue coating can cause bad breath. Tongue cleaning can be done using tongue cleaners at the back of some toothbrushes or a separate plastic tongue cleaner can be used for this purpose.
Also, if you don’t take adequate water or liquids, it can lead to dehydration and dryness of mouth which in turn results in a bad odor in the mouth.
The mouth is the first part of our digestive tract. So any problems in the gut such as constipation can result in bad breath. Also, any infections in the upper respiratory tract may also be a cause of halitosis. Certain foods like onion, garlic, etc cause bad breath.
All these factors, if corrected, can resolve the problem of halitosis or bad breath.