Bad breath in a child

Causes of bad breath in a child

Bad breath in a child can be due to poor hygiene and the consumption of specific foods, as well as due to serious diseases.

The main reasons:

• Poor oral hygiene. The child brushes his teeth badly and irregularly, pieces of food remain between the teeth, hence the smell from the mouth; also include inflammation of the gums, stomatitis;
• caries;
• Periodontal disease – diseases of the tissues surrounding the tooth;
• Infections of the pharynx and paranasal sinuses – sinusitis;
• A food or respiratory allergy that causes a runny nose;
• Poor digestion caused by food allergies or food intolerances
• Imbalance of the microflora of the oral cavity – a lack of beneficial bacteria due to the use of antibiotics or other medications;
• Systemic diseases (diabetes);
• Diseases caused by parasitic worms (worms).

If a child has infections of the throat, mouth, or stomach, they must be treated. At a minimum, you need to go to the pediatrician and go to the dentist.

Symptoms of bad breath in a child

Smell in the morning from children can be different. But parents should be aware that the specific smell from the baby’s mouth, which does not go away even after brushing their teeth, should alert them.

Acetone

The smell of acetone or “chemistry” should cause maximum anxiety for parents. It appears with acetonemic syndrome – a dangerous condition that is quite common in children of different ages. With this it is better not to pull, call an ambulance. Also, an unsharp acetone smell can be a sign of kidney disease, malfunction of the pancreas, helminthiasis (worms), dysbacteriosis, diabetes mellitus.

Putrefactive

This smell appears due to poor oral hygiene in a child or the presence of ENT diseases (tonsillitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis).

Purulent 

The smell accompanies chronic inflammation and proliferation of lymphoid tissue in the baby’s nasopharynx. The tonsils are covered with a purulent coating, plugs are formed that exude an unpleasant odor.

Sourish

This smell indicates an increase in acidity, an inflammatory process in the stomach. It is necessary to contact a gastroenterologist, check the child for the presence of gastritis.

Sweetish

There is reason to believe that the child has problems with the liver.

The smell of chlorine

The smell of chlorine from the mouth of a child can appear with increased bleeding gums and periodontal disease.

The smell of iodine

The smell of iodine is a reason to contact an endocrinologist, as it may indicate an excess of iodine that accumulates in the baby’s body.

The smell of bile

If a child smells of bile from his mouth, this may indicate a poor outflow of bile. In this case, you need to consult a doctor, do an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and pass a general blood test.

Ammonia smell 

He talks about kidney pathologies, as well as diabetes.

The smell of rotten eggs

The smell of rotten eggs from the mouth of a child, belching speaks of gastritis, ulcers, liver disease, impaired bile outflow.

The smell of yeast

If the child smells of yeast, this is a reason to suspect the occurrence of candidiasis. Often a sick stomach is also expressed by a yeasty smell.

Treating bad breath in a child

As a rule, specifically the smell from the mouth in children is not treated. After all, the smell is only a consequence, not a cause. In order for the breath to become fresh again, it is necessary to cure the disease that provoked it.

If a child has bad breath, you should first visit an ENT doctor, if it is not an acetone smell (in this case, you need to urgently call an ambulance).

Treatment at the ENT involves the elimination of the disease that caused bad breath.

The doctor may prescribe:

• the use of antibiotic therapy;
• washing out pus from the paranasal sinuses or stimulating its discharge;
• rinsing the nose with a solution of sea salt;
• instillation with medicinal drops;
• gargling with special solutions, decoctions of herbs.

If a visit to the otolaryngologist did not help, it is worth visiting a dentist, because the second common cause of an unpleasant odor is a violation of oral hygiene. The child brushes his teeth poorly – as a result, caries develops, and bacterial deposits appear on the tongue and gums.

The final stage will be a visit to a gastroenterologist, who will prescribe a special diet for the child, additional examination and necessary treatment. If he did not help, you need a pediatrician who will look for the cause deeper.

Diagnostics

To diagnose the cause of bad breath in a child, parents should immediately go with the child to the doctor, who will prescribe studies and send them for tests to find the cause of bad breath in the child.

Parents should analyze the diet of their child, begin to control the amount of liquid they consume, and monitor the humidity in the apartment / house.

Prevention of bad breath in a child at home

– Pay close attention to oral hygiene. Make sure your home has adequate humidity. To give the child more to drink, you can drink water with lemon to stimulate salivation. If the above measures did not save you from adversity, do the following:

• We go to the dentist for a checkup, if everything is fine there …
• we go for an examination by an ENT doctor, if they didn’t find anything there either …
• I’m going to see the pediatrician.

First of all, you need to run to the pediatrician if the child smells of acetone or ammonia, which can indicate dehydration, diabetes and other serious problems. The sweet smell characteristic of some liver diseases should also alert, says Elena Pisareva. The following will also help prevent bad breath in a child:

• A healthy diet rich in vegetables, herbs, fruits;
• Good brushing technique;
• Limiting the consumption of sweets;
• Compliance with water balance.

Popular questions and answers

Answers Elena Pisareva is a pediatrician at the Gaide clinic in St. Petersburg.