Got a Toddler with Bad Breath?
Toddlers can have bad breath just the same as older kids and adults. There are a couple of reasons that are more common to toddlers than to other age groups.
The most common cause of bad breath in toddlers and, in fact, in children of all ages, is postnasal drip. Toddlers hang around with other kids and just manage to get colds more often. They also can suffer from sinus infections and allergies. Postnasal drip provides a great food source for odor causing bacteria. In combination with that, children who have breathing problems, whether it’s from allergies, stuffy noses, enlarged adenoids, or infected sinuses, often breath through their mouths. This dries out their mouths, creating even better conditions for halitosis-causing anaerobic bacteria.
Another cause of bad breath that is pretty specific to kids is having something stuck up their noses. Doesn’t matter what it is, if it causes an infection, it can cause an unpleasant odor. This sounded pretty weird to me because it’s not something our kids ever did. I did find out, though, that, when he was a toddler, my uncle managed to stick a couple of beans up his nose. They didn’t cause an infection, but they did begin to sprout. Now isn’t that goofy! Glad he wasn’t my son.
Bad breath in toddlers can have some unique causes. Keep an eye on you toddlers noses, what comes out of them and what goes into them, and maybe you can stay one step ahead of toddler bad breath.
