Halitosis
After a routine check-up with three-year-old Timmy, his mom expressed her concerns about his bad breath. It seems his teeth were brushed after every meal. He even recently had a dental check-up and the dentist found no cavities or other problems. The question mom asked was should they start him on a mouthwash or an antibiotic.
Bad breath, or halitosis, can be a distressing problem for the child or his parents. In general, most cases are due to mouth, throat or sinus infections. In children there are two more common causes of chronic halitosis; chronic mouth breathing and thumb sucking. Less commonly, a child may have a foreign body in his nose, or he may have various esophageal, gastrointestinal, or lung problems.
Orthodontic devices can lead to bad breath if good oral hygiene is not maintained. Rarely, offensive skin odors associated with poor hygiene of long duration can be absorbed and excreted through the lungs.
A complete physical examination is in order to determine the cause of his bad breath. Mouth washes and other breath fresheners are of limited value in the treatment of chronic halitosis.