There are specific reasons that there may be problem of bad breath in children. There are several factors which may influence the production of bad breath, and some of these are particularly likely to be found in children.

In many cases, you can get rid of bad breath by decreasing the population of volatile sulfur compound (VSC) producing bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria break down material in the mouth and produce foul smelling compounds as a byproduct. Having some of these bacteria is perfectly normal: having too many of them causes bad breath.

What are the causes of bad breath? In more than 90 percent of cases, ongoing bad breath is caused by the activities of bacteria that are naturally present in the mouth. There are many different species of bacteria living in our mouths and they normally do us no harm; in fact, they are an integral part of a healthy mouth, helping to digest food and keeping more dangerous bacteria from making themselves at home. Bacteria live on the cells that line the mouth, in the plaque that builds up on the teeth, and in the saliva. They collectively create a biofilm in the mouth - a layer of material containing many different organisms, thriving together as a community.

Have you ever wondered how to tell someone they have bad breath? It’s a tricky problem, particularly if you don’t know the person very well. Having bad breath is something most people dread, and being told that one has it would be about as bad as being informed that you have head lice.

We usually associate bad breath, or halitosis, with adult breath, but bad breath in children certainly does occur. Perhaps it is less common because some of the conditions that favor the growth of anaerobic bacteria - the bacteria that produce foul smelling volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) - are uncommon in children. These bacteria can be present in children’s mouths as well, however, and they can cause bad breath.

Bad breath because of tonsils is a different condition from bad breath caused by bacteria living on the tongue and breaking down cells and proteins naturally present in the mouth. When bacteria colonize and infect the tonsils, the condition is tonsillitis, and it is an infection that requires medical attention.