Bad Breath Treatment | What Causes It?

Bad breath, also called halitosis, can be embarrassing, especially around friends and family. It is no wonder that store shelves are overflowing with gum, mints, mouthwashes, and other products designed to fight bad breath and keep our mouths feeling fresh. However, many of these products are temporary measures and do not address the cause of bad breath directly. Certain foods, health conditions, and oral habits are among the causes of bad breath. In many cases, your child can improve their breath with consistent proper oral care. If simple self-care techniques do not solve the issue, book an appointment with our office as there may be an underlying cause.

Bad breath odors vary depending on the source or the underlying cause. While most children tend to only have a mild case of bad breath that can be fixed with a proper oral care regimen at home, there are cases which require a dental professional to intervene. While it is important to check all concerns with our office, just to be safe, here are the main causes of bad breath:


  • Food | The breakdown of food particles in and around our teeth can increase bacteria and cause a foul odor. Eating certain foods, such as onions, garlic, and certain spices can cause bad breath. After you digest these foods, they enter your bloodstream, are carried to your lungs, and affect your breath.
  • Tobacco | Smoking causes its own unpleasant mouth odor. Smokers and oral tobacco users are also more likely to have gum disease, another source of bad breath.
  • Dental Hygiene | If your child does not floss and brush at least twice daily, food particles remain in their mouth, causing bad breath. A colorless, sticky film of bacteria (plaque) forms on their teeth. If it is not brushed away, plaque can irritate their gums and eventually form plaque-filled pockets between their teeth and gums (periodontitis). Our tongues can also trap bacteria that produces odors.
  • Dry Mouth | Saliva helps cleanse our mouths, removing particles that cause odors. A condition called dry mouth, or xerostomia, can contribute to bad breath because the production of saliva is decreased. Dry mouth naturally occurs during sleep, leading to "morning breath," and it worsens if you sleep with your mouth open. Chronic dry mouth can be caused by salivary glands or other medical diseases.
  • Medications | Some medications can indirectly produce bad breath by contributing to dry mouth, while others are broken down in our body to release chemicals that are carried on our breath.
  • Infections | Bad breath can be caused by surgical wounds after oral surgery, such as a tooth removal, or because of tooth decay, gum disease, or mouth sores.
  • Mouth, Nose, and Throat Conditions | Bad breath can occasionally stem from small stones that form in our tonsils and are covered with bacteria, as well as from infections or chronic inflammation in our nose, sinuses, or throat.
  • Other Causes | Diseases, such as some cancers, and conditions such as metabolic disorders, can cause a distinctive odor because of chemicals they produce. Chronic reflux of stomach acids (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD) is also associated with bad breath.


Some parents worry about their child's breath even though they have little or no mouth odor, while other children have bad breath and their parents do not realize it. If your child has bad breath, review their oral hygiene habits. Try making lifestyle changes, such as brushing their teeth and tongue after eating, using dental floss, and drinking plenty of water. If their bad breath persists, call our office.

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