Monday, September 11, 2006

Bad Breath In Children

Bad Breath In Children

All of the causes and symptoms of bad breath that we have discussed also apply to children. However, there are other concerns. Bad breath is very common among children. The most predominant cause of bad breath in children is breathing through the mouth.

Mouth breathing causes the mouth to dry out. A dry mouth provides a perfect environment for the bacteria that causes bad breath to grow.

Dry mouth is the main cause of bad breath in both children and adults. Children tend to breath through their mouth more often than adults and appear to have more instances of colds, allergies, sinus infections and other nose and ear problems.

A child who sucks their thumb or blanket can also dry out the mouth. Older children who smoke or use alcohol also set themselves up for dry mouth.

Nasal blockage is also a frequent cause of bad breath in toddlers. Toddlers will often poke items up their noses and then forget they are there. If you observe bad breath and/or a smelly discharge from one nostril you need to contact your pediatrician for immediate treatment.

Bad Breath In Children

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