Remarkably, many infants seem to have breath that's almost odorless, or that even smells good! Why don't our tiny tots get halitosis? Well, in truth, they do.
Infants occasionally do get bad breath, usually from oral bacteria buildup, thrush (a yeast infection of the mouth) or even an object in the nose. To minimize a baby's risk of oral odor, try wiping her gums off after a meal. In general, though, it's true that infants are less likely to get halitosis. This is because (a) babies have no teeth for food particles to get stuck between, (b) breast milk contains phagocytes, which are white blood cells that attack odor-producing bacteria, and (c) babies salivate like crazy! A moist mouth is less likely to stink, hence the importance of using mouth-wetting specialty breath fresheners in adulthood.
