Bad breath in a child: causes and remedies

Any adult remembers how good it smells from small children. With milk. It is lactic acid bacteria that work hard, which does not allow all kinds of microbes to develop in the baby's mouth. However, such an idyll does not always happen; a child's breath can be unpleasant. What is it connected with, how to identify and eliminate the cause, we will try to figure it out. In general, caries is often considered the main cause of bad breath. But such a nuisance also happens to babies (babies) who do not have teeth yet. This means that there are many sources of a bad smell, and today we will talk about the most common.

Causes of the unpleasant odor

It should be said right away that any person - an adult or a child - has a huge amount of bacteria in the mouth, most of which are not pathogenic. Pathogenic, or pathogenic, microorganisms, in the presence of favorable conditions for their development, multiply very quickly and cause various diseases in humans. As a result of a slight weakening of the immune system (as a result of taking medication, overwork or stress), pathogenic microbes are activated, causing a bad smell.

Bad breath in the morning is also associated with bacteria. At night, the production of saliva is significantly reduced, which is an excellent reason for the multiplication of these microorganisms. Hence the unpleasant morning smell.

Food

Some types of food can spoil the freshness of breath for a long time. Eating foods with a strong and unpleasant odor invariably contributes to bad breath in a child. This can be safely attributed to:

carbohydrate food that causes a rotting smell due to its slow processing by the body.
all kinds of fruits and vegetables that cause the fermentation process.
onion and garlic.
sweet food that helps pathogenic microorganisms multiply.
foods that emit a specific odor during digestion (corn or cheese, for example).

Poor hygiene

There is no need to prove anything here. Improper or inadequate oral hygiene will invariably cause bad odor.

Note that children need to brush not only their teeth, but also their tongue. For "toothy" kids, this can be done with a brush while brushing their teeth, for babies, it can be wiped with damp gauze or cleaned with a teaspoon.

Teach your child to brush their teeth correctly, cleaning all the gaps between them, and rinse their mouth after eating.

We read on the topic:
When to start brushing children's teeth - https://razvitie-krohi.ru/uhod-za-rebenkom/kogda-nachinat-chistit-zubki-detyam.html
12 effective ways to teach your child to brush their teeth - https://razvitie-krohi.ru/uhod-za-rebenkom/12-effektivnyih-sposobov-priuchit-rebenka-chistit-zubyi.html

Watching the video: how to teach a child to brush their teeth (tips)

Mouth breathing

For some reason, some children are used to breathing through their mouths. This causes the mucous membrane of the mouth to dry out, which is also the cause of the unpleasant odor. The fact is that saliva is capable of destroying microbes, and its absence is a very favorable factor for the reproduction of bacteria. Insufficient production of saliva can be a pathological condition of the body, or it can occur as a result of dehydration or taking certain medications.

Stress

Constant excitement or being under stress can spoil the freshness of the breath, since in such situations the production of saliva decreases.

Not drinking enough

Oddly enough, this is one of the reasons for the appearance of a strong odor from the baby's mouth. By drinking enough fluids, your little one will rinse out food debris and improve digestion. Therefore, children over one and a half years old should drink about 1.5 liters of water per day. Note - it is pure, spring water, not juices or compotes!

Foreign body

Little explorers can stick anything in their noses. Before looking elsewhere for a bad smelling mouth, check your baby's nose. It is possible that you will find a foreign body there that caused the smell.

Disruption of the digestive system

An upset stomach and increased gas production can cause a specific odor in the baby's mouth. in the body, gastric juice accumulates and the level of acidity changes. In children, these problems most often occur during periods of growth: in girls it is 6-7 years old and 10-12 years old, in boys - 4-6 years old and 13-16 years old.

Respiratory diseases

Tonsillitis (inflamed tonsils, tonsils) leads to the accumulation of actively multiplying pathogens, suppuration, mucus formation, and can often be accompanied by a very unpleasant odor.

Bronchitis. In the bronchi and bronchioles, a large amount of sputum accumulates, which comes out when coughing up, which has an unpleasant odor.

A runny nose of an infectious or allergic nature is always accompanied by an abundant formation of purulent masses that decompose under the action of bacteria and have an extremely unpleasant odor.

Bad smell as a symptom of a disease

Bad breath can indicate the presence of certain diseases that have not yet manifested themselves in another way.

Rotten smell

Inflammation of the stomach in most cases is accompanied by a rotten smell that appears in the mouth. The same smell can occur due to gastritis, intestinal dysbiosis, problems with the esophagus, increased gas production, dehydration with intestinal upset.

The smell of rotten eggs also accompanies various liver diseases.

Sour smell

If the stomach is too acidic, your baby will ooze a sour smell from his mouth. An acidic smell may also indicate such a nuisance as the discharge of gastric juice into the esophagus.

Rotting smell

The first on the list, of course, is caries. But bad breath can appear as a result of diseases such as periodontal disease, stomatitis, tonsillitis, periodontitis, herpes, pharyngitis and others.

This smell is caused by the accumulation of bacteria in the mouth or mucus in the nasopharynx. A plaque on the tongue can also emit a bad smell, the cause of which can only be determined by a specialist.

The baby may smell like rot during a runny nose. The reason is simple - the same dry mouth (after all, the nose is stuffed up, we breathe incorrectly) and mucus accumulated in the nose.

Inflammation of the adenoids is often accompanied by the smell of pus. Tonsils (tonsils) can accumulate food debris in their folds, which also invariably leads to a bad smell.

A rotten smell comes from the baby and with low acidity of the stomach.

Sweet smell

Starchy foods, antibiotics, radiation therapy, and a temporary decrease in immunity can cause fungal infections (candidiasis or thrush), which appear as white spots in the mouth. The smell in this case will be sweetish.

The sweet smell of raw liver is a sign of hepatitis or cirrhosis. The child's liver smells from the mouth and in other pathological conditions of this organ.

Ammonia smell

The smell of urine is absolutely unpleasant, but it can indicate existing kidney problems. The stronger the smell, the more problems have accumulated in the baby's body. Such a smell arises because the kidney function is impaired, and they are not able to remove waste products in full.

Smell of iodine

The smell of iodine from the mouth is observed in those babies whose body is oversaturated with this trace element. This may be due to a long stay at the sea, for example. Sometimes iodine odors in the mouth are caused by the high sensitivity of the child's body to this substance, or by its intolerance. In any case, your child's breathing should be the main reason for a complete thyroid examination.

Acetone smell

Often, colds are accompanied by the smell of acetone from the mouth in children. The same smell occurs with diabetes mellitus, acetone syndrome and thyroid problems. You need to see a doctor.

Other smells

Various “inhabitants” that inhabit a child's body can also cause bad breath. Here we mean pinworms, roundworms and lamblia.
Even a metabolic disorder in the body can ruin a child's breathing. With such disorders, boiled cabbage or even manure will blow from the mouth of the crumbs.

Ways to get rid of an unpleasant odor

First of all, the child needs to be examined (visit an ENT doctor, dentist, pediatrician) in order to exclude or confirm the presence of any of the above diseases. In this case, measures to eliminate bad breath will be reduced to treating the disease.

If the unpleasant smelling breath is not associated with a disease, then you must first of all eliminate the irritant and teach the baby the rules of oral care.

We follow the rules of hygiene

From an early age, teach your baby to brush his teeth twice a day. Rinsing the mouth after eating should also become a habit for the baby. For more pleasure, you can buy a “tasty” rinse aid for your child at the pharmacy, or use decoctions of chamomile or sage. (see links to articles above)

Limiting sweets

We understand that for some it is almost impossible, but you need to try. After all, the "pleasantness" of your child's breathing depends on your perseverance, and there will be little chance for caries. This does not mean that the child should forget about sweets forever. Not at all. You just need to try to replace them with natural products.

For example, any candy can be replaced with honey (if the child does not have allergies, of course). Also, instead of sweets, you can offer your child fruit. Ordinary apples have excellent qualities for cleaning the oral cavity. In our case, any other acidic fruits are suitable, which increase the process of salivation and help to eliminate the nasty smell.

Drinking regime

It must be observed, and it is not discussed. Only now the choice of drinks must be approached with all responsibility. The child's diet should be dominated by natural products - compotes, juices and tea. But it is best to use regular drinking water. Any carbonated drinks should be banned - they cause fermentation in the body and, accordingly, bad breath.

Psychological attitude

The problem of bad breath is very delicate and even painful for many children. It is important to create a positive attitude and focus on good results here. Explain to your child that he is not to blame for the problems, but the state of his body, and do not forget to mention the importance of brushing your teeth.

Try not to voice the problem in public, the child may have a complex or resentment towards you.

Now you know that the cause of the appearance of a nasty breath from a child's mouth can be both a serious illness and completely harmless factors of a temporary nature. In any case, it is necessary to identify the "culprit" of the bad smell urgently and take timely measures to eliminate it. Remember that any malfunctions in the baby's body, left unattended, will bring you and your baby many problems in the future.