Category: Childrens Teeth

Dragon’s Breath? Here’s how to Fix Children’s Halitosis

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Did you know that 50% of Americans are diagnosed with bad halitosis (bad breath) each year? Bad breath isn’t limited to adults, either. Children can suffer from halitosis that stems from a variety of causes, but there’s usually a way to conquer each cause of children’s halitosis. 

Food Debris 

Food sometimes sticks around long after mealtime, and it can cause really stinky breath. If left unchecked, food debris left in the mouth can give cavities the fuel they need to flourish. 

Solution: Rinse after Meals 

Have your child swish cool water in their mouth vigorously for 30 seconds after they finish their meal. This will help remove any food debris left in the cracks and crevices of teeth.

Dry Mouth 

A dry mouth can lead to recurring bad breath. Usually, dry mouth is caused by poor saliva flow, which stems from a lack of water, or inadequate hydration. Luckily, that’s incredibly easy to fix!

Solution: Improve Saliva Production 

Dry mouth can usually be fixed by eating foods that increase saliva production like cheese, apples or carrots. Make sure your child gets enough water – 8 to 10 cups per day. If this doesn’t fix your child’s bad breath, then schedule an appointment with our office. 

Poor Oral Care Routine 

The number one cause of halitosis in children is poor oral hygiene. But, a proper oral care routine is incredibly easy to achieve, it just takes a little work, and a clear schedule.

Solution: Develop a Good Oral Health Routine 

Make sure your child brushes twice per day for two minutes at a time, and flosses once per day. When flossing, stress the importance of hitting both sides of the tooth, and beneath the gum line so that they clean their entire tooth. Be sure to clearly communicate when they are to brush and floss, and be sure that they adhere to a consistent schedule. Gentle parental reminders can go a long way in keeping children into a healthy oral care routine. 

We can Beat Dragon’s Breath Together! 

Children’s halitosis stinks – but it can be beaten. If your child’s breath is consistently smelly, then schedule a visit with our office. We can help you get to the bottom of their bad breath, and help them beat halitosis together.

Some “Health” Food can Cause a Catastrophe for Teeth

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Whether it’s snacking on granola bars, or choosing fruit instead of potato chips, there are endless dietary actions that you can take to improve your child’s health. But, before you overhaul their diet, did you know that some foods that are marketed as healthy are actually terrible for teeth? When shopping for your child, watch out for some stealthy unhealthy food.  

Granola

Granola is typically advertised as a healthier alternative to cereal that people can add into their milk or yogurt for an added dietary benefit. But here’s what they’re not advertising: granola typically contains high amounts of sugar and fat, which we call “sugar bombs.” The added sugar can lead to tooth decay, and the high density of calories can leave your child hungry and cause them to overeat.  

If you do choose granola, compare the nutritional values of your options and choose the one with the highest fiber content, and lowest amount of sugar. This way, you can avoid feeding your child a stealthy sugar bomb.  

“Nutritional” Water & Sports Drinks

Often marketed as a healthy way to recover from a workout, nutritional or “enhanced” water is not good for you at all. In fact, one 20-ounce bottle of Vitamin Water contains more sugar than the recommended daily amount for adults. Nutritional water may taste good, but there’s simply too much sugar in them to be considered healthy. Our advice is to serve your child normal water, which contains no calories or sugar.  

Sports drinks are no better, but usually advertised as healthy drinks. This is patently false, since the most popular sports drinks contains as much sugar as a can of cola. The healthiest beverage you can give your child is water, which also happens to naturally clean teeth.  

Trail Mix

A fantastic substitute for unhealthy snack foods is trail mix. But, be careful! If you decide to serve your child trail mix, look out for unhealthy ingredients that can add unhealthy amounts of sugar and fat to their plate. Try to avoid trail mix that has chocolate, dried fruit, and candy. Look for mixes that are unflavored and don’t contain any added sweets. 

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit is a food that you should avoid if you’re trying to improve your child’s oral health. Dried fruit contains much higher levels of sugar than their natural counterparts, and none of the water that helps make fruit so healthy. Let’s use prunes as an example. Prunes are just dried plums, except just one cup of prunes contains more than 400 calories and 45 grams of sugar. However, one plum contains just 75 calories and 16 grams of sugar. The bottom line is that you should choose fresh fruit and not dried fruit.  

Smoothies


Smoothies can be a fantastic way to get the nutritional benefits of fruit, and the added mouth-healthy rewards of non-fat Greek yogurt. However, if made improperly, smoothies can be packed with sugar and calories. When making (or buying) a smoothie, make sure to limit using fruit high in sugar. Try to avoid figs, grapes, mangoes, pomegranates and cherries, since these fruits have very high amounts of sugar.  

Does Your Child Have a Healthy Diet?

Our office helps parents teach their children about earning a healthy smile, and keeping it long after they leave our office. A mouth-healthy diet is an important part of maintaining optimal oral health. If you’re concerned about how your child’s diet may be affecting their teeth, then bring them into our office. We will evaluate their smiles and offer a variety of treatment options that fit their case. We can also give you tips on eating for better oral health, and point out food that can lead to tooth decay.

What’s the Best Toothpaste for Children?

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Tooth decay is the most common childhood disease, with more than 16 million children suffering from them each year. Oral disease also leads to just over 51 million school hours lost every school year. So how can you help prevent your child from getting cavities? You can buy them toothpaste that works to protect their teeth.  

What Type of Toothpaste is Best for My Child? 

Look for… 

The ADA Seal of Approval

Look for the American Dental Association’s seal of approval when buying any dental or oral care products. The seal will be easily viewable on the box. The ADA’s stringent testing procedures help ensure that you’re buying a useful product that actually works.  

Fluoride

For more than half a century, the ADA has recommended using toothpaste containing fluoride to prevent cavities. Fluoridated toothpaste does an excellent job of cleaning teeth, but make sure that your child spits all of it out and rinses their mouth thoroughly after brushing since ingesting excessive fluoride can lead to a condition called fluorosis.  

Avoid Abrasives

Mild abrasives remove debris and residual surface stains from teeth, but they can also remove enamel. Avoid whitening toothpastes for your children that contain abrasives like: calcium carbonate, dehydrated silica gels, hydrated aluminum oxides, magnesium carbonate, and silicates.  

Enjoyable Flavors

Your goal is to get your child to brush twice per day for two minutes each time. A lot of children find that mint or other traditionally flavored toothpastes are too “spicy” for them. You can find flavors that aren’t too harsh on their sensitive palates. Children’s toothpaste often comes in fun flavors like berry and bubblegum, and sometimes features some of their favorite cartoon characters or superheroes on the container.  

Begin a Good Cleaning Routine Early

Just because your toddler doesn’t have teeth doesn’t mean you shouldn’t clean their mouth! You can clean toddler’s gums with a clean, damp cloth by gently running away residual food. By doing this, you are actually improving the health of the baby teeth that will soon erupt, and familiarizing them with oral care early in their life. 

Does Your Child Brush Twice per Day?

To prevent cavities and tooth decay, your child should be brushing twice per day for two minutes at a time, and floss once per day. If they are complaining of sensitive or painful teeth, then visit our office for further evaluation. Our team will check their mouth for signs of tooth and provide them with a treatment plan that will get them a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime.

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