Kids and Their Breath

Kids and the science of tooth brushing. As parents, we all have rather unscientific evidence that our children are less than diligent about when their teeth meet their toothbrushes on a daily basis. You could call it cursory attention. You could call it boredom. You could call it being in a hurry to do something else.

Or, as most of us do, you could call it bad oral hygiene, kid version.

Dr. Egger knows some of his younger patients may not be the best tooth brushers this side of Poughkeepsie, but he has faith in their efforts. Just because your child’s breath isn’t exactly minty fresh doesn’t necessarily mean your tot isn’t doing a good job cleaning his or her teeth. Truth is, not all bad breath is due to the buildup of plaque and bacteria in the mouth. There are reasons that most people don’t even know can lead to bad breath in children and teenagers.

Sinus infection

Want to have the perfect storm for bad breath? Allow fluids to collect in the nasal passages and the throat with a sinus infection. When this happens bacteria go crazy and start multiplying like rabbits. Brushing won’t do a thing to this type of bad breath, so ask your child if he or she has a sore throat or burning nasal passages. Then call your doctor.

Decay and gingivitis

Another root cause of bad breath could actually stem from poor brushing, but it wasn’t this morning’s brushing. If decay and gingivitis (gum irritation) have taken hold due to lackadaisical brushing, both conditions create bad breath that won’t be remedied by immediate brushing. A trip to see Dr. Egger will fix the issues, usually with the placement of a composite resin filling after the decay has been removed. Dr. Egger even has fillings for baby teeth that actually have fluoride in them to help keep decay at bay.

Swollen tonsils

Healthy tonsils should look like a bright pink wad of Double Bubble Gum, and they should be free of any spots. Infected tonsils will appear red, inflamed, and have white spots on them. The smell will be less than appealing. Bacteria can collect in the pits of swollen tonsils and create bad breath. Antibiotics will be required to cure this breath, and maybe a tonsillectomy.

Dry mouth

Kids may run around like the Energizer bunny, but water consumption isn’t usually a focal point. Checking out bugs is higher on the interest list. A lack of water means the mouth produces less saliva, and since part of the job of saliva is to wash away odor-causing bacteria, guess what’s next? Bad breath. Getting your kids to drink more water isn’t being an excessive, controlling, helicopter parent. Hydration is good and dry mouth is bad. Beyond bad breath, it can lead to tooth decay.

See? It may not be the case that your child would rather have to eat spinach than brush his or her teeth. That may not be causing the bad breath. Still, be sure they’re brushing and flossing regularly, and coming to see Dr. Egger twice yearly for their regular cleanings and exams. Call us at (989) 773-3560 to make your next appointment.