“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
No statement could be further from the truth, especially for little ones who have boarded the big yellow bus and gone back to school this fall.
Being teased can be heartbreaking for kids. And for parents, hearing that your child is getting picked on is the worst “fingernails on a chalkboard” sound in the world.
If there’s a common denominator to parenthood, it’s that we all want our children to feel confident, safe and loved.
Yet, bullying continues to be an ongoing concern across the country.
Consider this: 1 in 4 students report being bullied during the school year … and 64% of the time, it’s not reported.
Bullied for Bad Breath
Bad breath in children isn’t a problem to take lightly. Many bullies unfortunately target peers with poor hygiene (including poor oral hygiene).
A child’s oral health can have a major impact on their confidence level, social interactions and even their performance in school.
Besides the obvious tips of brushing and flossing every day and keeping regular dental appointments, here are 3 more tips to help your child feel good about his or her breath.
3 Tips for Fresh Breath for Kids
Tip #1: Have your child say “AHH”
Most people aren’t aware of this, but tonsil stones are a major cause of bad breath in children. In fact, they’re much more common in kiddos than adults.
What are they? Tonsil stones are lumps of tiny, white specks of calcified oral debris that form at the back of the throat.
Regular gargling with salt water or a non-alcoholic mouthwash (see tip #3) can prevent and eliminate tonsil stones, as well as get rid of the nasty odor associated with them.
Other tonsil stone tips include wetting a Q-tip on both ends and then gently swabbing the tonsils to loosen the stones, then rinsing with water.
Also, make sure yogurt or another probiotic is part of your child’s healthy diet. Probiotics (good bacteria) help to eliminate the bad bacteria that cause tonsil stones.
Tips #2: Hit the drinking fountain.
Encourage your child to drink plenty of water at school (and at home). This helps to prevent dry mouth and tonsil stones.
Biology 101: When a mouth is dry, there’s a lack of saliva. Saliva is the body’s natural way of preventing bacteria growth in the mouth. Bacteria = stinky smells. Saliva is rich in oxygen, and bacteria can only thrive in low-oxygen environments.
Tip #3: Swish with an alcohol-free mouthwash.
Besides that awful sting and burn, the alcohol in store-brand mouthwashes dries out the mouth, which makes bad breath even worse than before!
We proudly offer a variety of alcohol-free mouthwashes. These USA-made formulas are guaranteed to freshen the breath for up to 6 hours! They’re dye-free, alcohol-free, and contain NO sugar or saccharin.
For kids who are sensitive to mint or simply don’t like the taste of it, Oxyfresh Gentle Formula Unflavored Fresh Breath Mouthwash is the perfect solution. No flavors or sweeteners of any kind! If they don’t mind some flavor, Fresh Breath Fresh Mint Mouthwash is a great choice.
Stomp Out Bullying
Bullying is a serious issue. Encourage open communication with your child about bullying. If your child is being bullied, know what to do. More information can be found here: stompoutbullying.org.
Our entire Oxyfresh family wishes YOUR family a happy, healthy back-to-school year.
