How to Cure Bad Breath: Children and Hygiene
In the United States, lots of adults have bad breath but not all that many children have bad breath. One estimate placed the number at 2.5 to 10%–fewer than 1 child out of 10.
The few children who do have chronic halitosis, however, suffer ridicule and embarrassment that can cause lasting scars. And problem is more likely to be tonsillitis than it is to be poor hygiene.
Kids and Halitosis
A child’s mouth can harbor the same strains of bad breath bacteria found in an adult’s mouth. The 20 or so species of bacteria that release sulfur compounds as they digest food particles and dead tissues don’t care whether they are living inside an adult or inside a child. For the simple reason that children’s mouths are smaller than adult mouths, however, there usually are not enough bad breath bacteria present to cause detectable odor.
Of course, onions and garlic and stinky cheese can give children bad breath, too. All a child has to do (or the child’s parents or caretakers have to do) to bring this kind of bad breath under control is a quick brushing of the teeth followed by rinsing out the mouth with water. As is the case with bad breath bacteria, there just is not enough space in a child’s mouth to catch enough odor-causing food to cause noticeable bad breath, unless the child is exploring the world by biting into whole onions and garlic cloves. Even then, the effect is temporary.
The real problem for kids comes they have tonsillitis. Besides the fact that tonsillitis hurts, it can make a child feel so bad that playtime activities are not appealing, it makes swallowing painful and it cause a condition known as “hot potato voice,” tonsillitis can also cause bad breath.
Sometimes the bad breath is generated by the tonsillitis bacteria themselves. The tonsils become infected but the infected portion of the tonsil is surrounded by scar tissue. Inside the pocket of scar tissue bad breath bacteria find a feast of dead tonsil cells and pus, occasionally emitting a fierce blast of sulfurous odor.
Or the bad breath can be caused by drying out of the mouth and throat. Inflamed adenoids can block the flow of air from the nostrils to the throat, forcing the child to breathe through the mouth. The lining of the mouth and through desiccates and forms millions of tiny cracks in which bad breath bacteria can flourish. When both the throat and the mouth are involved, there is enough odor to be noticeable.
Treating Bad Breath in Kids Who Have Chronic Tonsillitis
When the source of bad breath is a “tonsil stone,” the small area of scar tissue holding a bag of pus as described above, getting rid of the stone can get rid of halitosis. If your child is six or older, you can try this procedure: Read through this discussion, and discuss it with your doctor. If you doctor agrees, then have a talk with your child about what you plan do do. Wash hands, and then use a finger to gently feel the child’s tonsil, taking care not to put the finger so far down the throat that it causes gagging or vomiting. (If you ever do this, you are likely not to gain the permission’s child to try again.) Find the tonsil stone, and gently press until it pops.
Take a child’s complaints and crying seriously. If the child tells you that your pressing on the stone hurts, stop. Your child knows the state of his or her mouth better than you do. Avoid injuring surrounding tissues. Sometimes, however, a palpable stone is easily detected, and pressing the stone releases a squirt of really ghastly smelling fluid that ends the child’s halitosis.
Be absolutely sure to wash the child’s face and your hands after the fluid is released. Don’t get the fluid in your eyes or on your face, and don’t leave used wash cloths or tissues where others can find them and catch the infection.
When Medical Treatment Is Necessary
Getting rid of tonsil stones may not be the answer to tonsillitis. Sometimes surgery is the answer. Your doctor may choose either to cut the tonsils out with a steel knife, or to “burn them out,” cauterizing blood vessels as the operation proceeds. The cauterization procedure usually results in less pain—but a tonsillectomy can be quite painful for a child and observation is necessary the first 24 hours to make sure there are no complications.
Tonsillectomy always controls bad breath in the short run. Sometimes, however, the infection can come back even after the tonsils have been removed. Your doctor will have to give you direction on how to handle the problems related to remaining tonsil tissue if that happens.
What to Do in the Meantime
While you are waiting for medical treatment, you can help control your child’s bad breath with mouthwash. Remember, this bad breath isn’t caused by lack of brushing or flossing. Mouthwash that contains the ingredients chlorhexidine usually also controls sulfur odor.
Don’t give a child regular Listerine, the kind that contains alcohol. Not only can a child swallow the mouthwash and become intoxicated, the alcohol can dry out the mouth in ways that encourage the growth of bacteria.
It also helps to encourage your child to sip water throughout the day to keep the mouth moist. Plan bathroom breaks, and resist the temptation to succumb to requests to replace the water with milk, juice, or soda, which can also cause bad breath and encourage overweight.
