Bad breath or halitosis is common in children. That’s the sad truth that we parents, should face every day because we cannot just take to see our children without friends. That being said, you should know that halitosis in children is not a laughing matter or something you should neglect because it could have a big impact on our children’s psychological growth that may become a burden when they grow up.
Common Types of Bad Breath

1. Morning Breath– when your child wakes up in the morning, his/her breath could be foul due to dry mouth when he/she was asleep. The mouth produces its own antiseptic through saliva. When it’s dry, bacteria will a have a good time multiplying inside, thus, producing a foul smell in the morning or right after sleep.
Five Tips to Treat and Prevent Bad Breath in Children
3. Avoid Candies – for long-term prevention you should minimize your child’s intake of candies and sweets because it may create cavities or cause tooth decay. In children, tooth decay is often the cause of bad breath.
4. Minimize Garlic and Onions – these spices already contain mercaptan, a sulphur compound produced by bad breath bacteria. And as your child digests aromatic substances contained in garlic, they get into his/her bloodstream, circulate through the lungs and greet you or his/her friends with a garlic breath. The fact is it may take a little while to completely get rid of garlic breath.
5. Don’t Stress Out Your Child – children should never be stressed out because first, it may affect their growth and second, it may cause bad breath. One thing that could stress your child out is too much play. Stress can cause hormonal imbalance affecting saliva production in the mouth which consequently leads to bad breath. It would always be the responsibility of parents to make sure their children follow proper hygiene. After all, it would break our hearts to see our children alone, with no one to play with. Therefore, do as much as you can to prevent bad breath in your children.
(1)http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081123222846.htm
(2)http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/13/bad.breath.remedies/index.html
About the Author Harold Hisona is a medical practitioner with years of experience. He runs a blog on alternative medicine while practicing his medical profession. Get more health tips from him at http://www.methodsofhealing.com.