Bad breath in a child - causes and solutions. Bad breath in a child: is there any reason to be afraid? The child has bad breath

The appearance of a specific odor from a child’s mouth is not as harmless a phenomenon as it might seem at first glance. It is important to find out whether it is a symptom of a serious illness.

A child has bad breath: causes that do not require treatment

The most common cause of halitosis in a child is poor hygiene. It is also the most easily remedied: parents need to teach their child to brush their teeth properly and monitor regular hygiene procedures.

The health of a child is directly related to the quality of nutrition. If your diet contains too much protein or sweets, you may experience bad breath. The reason for this is the processes of decay in the intestines.

A specific smell may be the body’s reaction to a certain product. In this case, it will disappear after brushing the teeth, but may haunt the child the next day. Most often, bad breath remains after eating the following foods:

• Garlic
• Hard cheeses
• Corn
• Radish
• Dairy products
• Sweet carbonated drinks.

Malfunctions digestive system against the background of normal nutrition are observed in children during periods of intensive growth. This is due to the fact that internal organs do not have time to adapt to the rapidly changing skeleton. Typically, such problems arise at the ages of 6–7 and 10–12 years in girls and 4–6 and 13–16 years in boys. In this case, bad breath is a normal phenomenon that goes away on its own and does not require treatment.

Cause for concern

A healthy child's mouth contains a huge amount of bacteria. Some of them - non-pathogenic bacteria - will never cause disease. Another group of bacteria - opportunistic - do not manifest themselves until favorable conditions for their reproduction appear. If the child’s immunity is weakened, the activation of pathogenic flora begins.

An imbalance of microorganisms in the oral cavity is most often caused by dry mucous membranes. There are several reasons that contribute to drying out:

• Breathing through your mouth
• Low indoor humidity
• Insufficient fluid intake
• Disorders of the salivary glands
• Long-term use of medications
• Psychological stress.

A dry oral cavity provides a favorable environment for the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. Settling on the mucous membranes, they cause inflammation in the mouth (stomatitis, caries, periodontitis, fungal infections) and nasopharynx (rhinitis, tonsillitis, adenoiditis), which become sources of unpleasant odor. The inflammatory process in the nasopharynx is also accompanied by swelling under the eyes, impaired nasal breathing, and snoring.

Diabetes mellitus is indicated by the characteristic smell of acetone, and kidney disease by the smell of ammonia.

An unpleasant symptom can also be caused by mumps, which affects the salivary glands.

Psychological factor of the disease

When a child develops bad breath, parents immediately rush to look for physical pathologies. However psychological stress can play an equally significant role in the appearance of bad breath, because it helps to reduce the secretion of saliva, and this reduces local immunity and makes the child vulnerable to infection.

It’s worth thinking: perhaps the cause was a nervous shock? It is necessary to analyze the child’s behavior recently, his relationships with others: find out if there are any problems in kindergarten or school, whether the child is being bullied by his peers. It is important to create a positive atmosphere in the family: then the baby will trust his parents and talk about his fears and worries.

If the child has experienced severe anxiety, you need to give him plenty of water to avoid dehydration and drying out of the mucous membranes.

You can get rid of bad breath in a child by adjusting hygiene and nutrition. Some tips to help parents:

• Replace sugar with natural fruits and honey
• Add more vegetables to your diet
• Reduce the amount of protein
• Make sure your child drinks at least one and a half liters of clean water per day
• Buy quality toothpaste and brush
• Teach your child the technique of brushing teeth (removing food particles from the interdental space and plaque from the tongue).

If the child is still very young, it is worth checking if he has a foreign body in his nose. Perhaps this is the reason for the bad smell: an inflammatory process develops in the nose, and purulent discharge is formed, which the baby swallows.

To remove a foreign body, you must consult a doctor.

If these methods do not help, most likely the reason lies in the onset of the disease. In this case there is no need to mask unpleasant symptom: It is important to seek help in time and cure the disease.

Parents should not self-medicate. The most correct decision would be to visit a pediatrician: he will conduct a comprehensive examination of the child, clarify all the necessary information for making a preliminary diagnosis, and only then refer him to the right doctor (dentist, otolaryngologist, gastroenterologist, etc.). To clarify the diagnosis, a specialist may prescribe laboratory and ultrasound tests. This approach will allow you to quickly determine the cause of the unpleasant odor and prevent the development of serious consequences.

Delicate problem: bad breath in a child

If a child is old enough to evaluate the attitude of others towards him, he may be embarrassed by bad breath. Moreover, at school he may experience communication difficulties, be humiliated and ridiculed.

It is very important that parents have a timely educational conversation and explain to the child that he is not to blame for the problem. Sometimes a sensitive reaction causes a strong interest in a child to quickly cope with trouble, and he gladly follows all the prescribed recommendations.

The opposite situation is also possible: the child develops an inferiority complex, he withdraws into himself and does not want to make contact with either his parents or doctors. In this case, you should think about consulting a psychologist.

Immediately after birth, the baby has a very pleasant smell. This is due to its “sterility”. The newborn has not yet had time to fully encounter harmful effects environment, therefore the microflora of his body is clean and ideal. However, with age, parents may notice a rather unpleasant and even repulsive odor from the child’s mouth. This worries many, so let’s look at the causes of this pathology.

Bad breath in a child is a symptom, the cause of which must be found out. Bad breath - normal or pathological?

Your baby's breath may smell, especially in the morning, due to dry saliva, accumulation of bacteria in the mouth, or the development of a disease. In the latter case, the smell will be persistent and characteristic. If after morning procedures (brushing teeth and tongue, rinsing) the specific aroma does not go away, the child should be shown to a doctor. The pediatrician will examine him, conduct an examination and confirm or refute his family’s fears.

Why does a healthy child have a strange smell from his mouth? Let's consider the physiological reasons for this phenomenon:

• eating highly sweet, carbohydrate-containing foods or foods with a specific odor (onions, garlic);
• drying of the nasopharyngeal mucosa and saliva due to excessive physical activity, stress or after sleep;
• use of drugs that cause odor;
• a small child may put something in his nose (for example, a piece of washcloth, rubber), which will cause the object to rot and create an odor;
• hormonal changes during puberty, lack of vitamins, microelements and iodine in the body.

The main causes of unpleasant odor

Bad breath occurs at any age and can be associated with rot, iodine, acid, acetone, urine or rotten eggs. With the transition to solid food and the appearance of teeth, infants and children over one year old have leftover food in the mouth, which leads to the proliferation of bacteria and fungi in the body. With proper care and oral hygiene, the odor usually disappears unless it is a symptom of a disease.

Let's consider the main causes of pathology:

• insufficient hygiene;
• diseases of the oral cavity;
• diseases of the ENT organs;
• bronchial infections;
• digestive system disease;
• damage to the liver, kidneys;
• diabetes mellitus

Neglect of oral hygiene

The most common cause of morning odor is poor or improper child oral hygiene or the consumption of foods that cause a specific aroma (for example, garlic).

Parents should take control of this issue, as some children neglect oral hygiene. As a result, many microbes appear on the leftover food in the mouth, it rots, decomposes, and plaque forms on the teeth and tongue. Caries and bad breath appear.

Diseases of teeth and gums

Bad breath is accompanied by almost all diseases of the teeth and gums:

• caries;
• gingivitis;
• stomatitis;
• periodontal disease;
• tartar, etc.

The child should be taken to the dentist, even if no changes are visible on the teeth. Many pathological processes in teeth begin without damage to the enamel, so examination by a specialist is necessary to exclude or confirm the diagnosis.

Diseases of the nasopharynx
Bad breath will occur with diseases of the ENT organs

Bad breath may be a consequence of a developing disease of the ENT organs. The main diseases causing pathology:

1. Acute, purulent or chronic tonsillitis (angina). As a result of the proliferation of bacteria in the nasopharynx, purulent plugs form on the tonsils, and the tonsils become inflamed. A child with a sore throat feels unwell, has pain when swallowing, and has a fever. Mucus with bacteria accumulates in the throat, which causes a putrid, sour smell.
2. Sinusitis, acute or chronic rhinitis also causes the appearance of this unpleasant pathology. Purulent mucus flows down the back wall of the nasopharynx, stagnation of snot and pus occurs, so the child smells unpleasant.
3. Neoplasms and cysts in the throat. This pathology is the most dangerous, since the only symptom may be a putrid odor from the mouth. Often the disease is asymptomatic.

Lung infections

Pulmonary infections affect bronchial secretions, causing mucus production and coughing. This process is very dangerous for children, especially for children under one year old. His lungs are not developed enough to get rid of mucus on their own, so it, along with bacteria, accumulates in the bronchial tree, and an odor appears when coughing. If the problem is not solved, bronchitis and pneumonia develop.

Digestive diseases

When, when communicating with a child, relatives notice that his breath smells sour or rotten, then most likely the baby has digestive problems.

Gastrointestinal diseases are also the cause of bad breath

The appearance of an unpleasant odor may indicate:

• gastritis;
• disruption of the stomach;
• excessive secretion of gastric juice;
• duodenal disease;
• neoplasms and tumors in the digestive organs;
• disruption of the valves in the stomach;
• poor nutrition.

Liver diseases

The appearance of a sweetish odor from a child’s mouth when exhaling indicates liver disease. If the disease occurs in an acute form, other symptoms also occur: changes in the color of the nails and skin, a yellowish coating on the tongue, itching and rash on the body. These symptoms indicate acute liver failure, disruption of its function and blood flow.

Liver disease is indicated by a sweetish or rotten odor not only from the mouth. Over time, the baby’s skin begins to exude the same aroma.

If additional symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor, who will refer you for tests and an ultrasound. If measures are not taken in time and treatment is not started, the child may fall into a coma.

Kidney diseases

Your child's breath may smell like urine or ammonia. This pathology is associated with:

• Not proper nutrition;
• taking medications;
• kidney disease (pyelonephritis, stones, neoplasms).

Kidney function is affected by a lack of fluid in the body. If a child drinks little water and his diet mainly consists of carbohydrate foods, this leads to increased stress on the urinary system. The kidneys fail to cope with their functions, urine stagnates in the body and decay products accumulate, which cause the smell of ammonia.

Diabetes mellitus

For proper functioning of the body, glucose is necessary, which comes from certain foods. The hormone insulin, which is produced by the pancreas, helps it get into the cells. If there is a lack of it, glucose is not transported into the cells, which leads to their starvation.

To avoid bad breath when diabetes mellitus you must adhere to a special diet

This picture is observed in children with diabetes mellitus, when the hormone is not produced enough or is completely absent. This is caused by pathological changes in the pancreas. The reason for this may be heredity. The accumulation of glucose and ketone substances in the blood provokes the smell of acetone and iodine.

Does the appearance of odor depend on the age of the child?

Bad breath can appear at any time in life and does not depend on age. This problem is relevant for both adults and children, and in childhood this pathology is more common. This is mainly due to insufficient hygiene and poor nutrition. Whatever the reason for the odor, the child should in any case be shown to a doctor.

What is the treatment of pathology?

Unpleasant oral odor caused by physiological reasons, does not require treatment. Often it is enough to review the child’s diet and quality, limit the consumption of carbohydrate and sweet foods, monitor the amount of fluid consumed and proper oral hygiene. If the smell does not go away after a week, this indicates some kind of disease. This smell will go away when the cause is identified and eliminated. To do this, you should contact a specialist.

Prevention
From a very early age, it is necessary to instill in your child the habit of caring for his teeth.

To prevent oral odor, the baby must be taught to take care of oral hygiene from the moment of teething. In addition, starting from six months, the baby is given clean boiled water between meals, since at this age the liquid contained in breast milk is no longer enough to maintain water balance.

One-year-old babies' first teeth should be cleaned with a bandage. It is wrapped around a clean index finger, moistened with boiled water and rubbed on both sides of each tooth. If there is plaque on the child’s tongue, it must be removed without pressing, so as not to provoke a gag reflex and not to injure the tissue.

From the age of 2, parents brush their child’s teeth with a toothbrush. A three-year-old child should do this himself under parental supervision. From the age of 10, children can use dental floss (see also: electric toothbrushes for children aged 6 years and older). The child’s diet should include fish, dairy products, fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and fiber. Parents also need to monitor the amount of clean water the child drinks (not taking into account teas, juices, compotes, etc.). Standards for its use:

Sometimes parents may notice an unpleasant odor from the child’s mouth; it feels like it smells of some kind of rot. But not all mothers treat this phenomenon properly, justifying the bad smell in children by the peculiarities of their diet and other reasons that seem suitable to them. But in fact, this is a rather serious problem that must be addressed immediately. Therefore, it is important for parents to study the causes of bad smell and methods to combat them.

Your child’s breath smells – why?

There are several reasons why children may smell bad.

1. Insufficient oral hygiene. An unpleasant sour odor from the mouth of a child may occur due to poor oral hygiene. Children under 7-10 years of age, for the most part, brush their teeth reluctantly and not thoroughly. For this reason, every time after eating, hundreds of bacteria begin to multiply in the baby’s mouth, which lead to caries and gum inflammation. This is where the bad smell comes from. Therefore, parents should teach their baby to brush their teeth thoroughly at an early age. This will not only avoid discomfort, but also maintain the health of your teeth and digestive tract.
2. Some foods and drinks. Foods such as cheese, onions, garlic, many juices, corn, etc. can cause the proliferation of various pathogenic bacteria that have a characteristic odor. It often occurs in children after eating sweets. In this case, it is important to explain to the baby that after eating you need to either brush your teeth or simply rinse your mouth.
3. Fungus on the oral mucosa. Every person has a certain number of microorganisms and bacteria in their mouth. When their balance is disturbed, children and adults develop a bad odor in the mouth, as the inflammatory process rages on the mucous membrane. Imbalance occurs mainly due to poor nutrition. In this case, it is recommended to definitely show the child to a specialist.
4. Plaque on the child's tongue. Often mothers only care about their children’s teeth, completely unaware that the tongue also needs to be cleaned. The unevenness of the tongue is an excellent place for the accumulation of food debris, which in turn becomes an excellent habitat and breeding ground for microbes. Therefore, from the first days of life, the baby needs to regularly clean his tongue.
5. Accumulation of mucus in the sinuses. This disease can affect both a one-year-old baby and an older child. In addition to the bad smell, the patient often notes the presence of a strange taste in the mouth. This disease requires qualified treatment.
6. Mouth breathing. At the moment when the baby breathes not through his nose, but through his mouth, the mucous surface dries out, which also provokes the appearance of an unpleasant odor. Chronic sinusitis and seasonal allergies lead to the fact that the baby cannot breathe normally through his nose. Therefore, a common or allergic runny nose should be treated as early as possible.
7. Tonsillitis. This disease is accompanied by the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria in the tonsils, which become the source of bad breath in children. Sometimes food debris accumulates in the tonsils, which begin to rot and emit a disgusting aroma. A child with this disease should regularly gargle with plain water. And from his diet it is worth excluding foods such as cottage cheese and cheese, as well as seeds.
8. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Increased acidity in the stomach and the accumulation of gastric juice in it also provoke bad odor in children. This phenomenon is especially often observed in a child who has eaten heavy food.
9. Stress, emotional stress and fears of a child under 5 years old. All these phenomena, which at first glance are completely unrelated to the oral cavity, lead either to excessive secretion of saliva, or, conversely, to its temporary absence. Dryness and increased moisture in the oral cavity can also be called one of the most common factors in the appearance of unpleasant odor in the mouth.

Many parents are perplexed why their newly born babies have bad breath, because the baby eats exclusively healthy food- breast milk. In fact, this happens due to the fact that the child, having fed the breast and not washed it down with regular water, is also exposed to the creation of a favorable environment in the mouth for the development of bacteria.

Fighting bad breath in children

First of all, no matter how old your child is, you should contact a specialist. The doctor will conduct examinations of the oral cavity, ask you about accompanying symptoms and, if necessary, prescribe treatment. If the doctor has not identified any pathologies, but the smell still does not go away, then you can solve the problem yourself.

Firstly, for a child under three years old, parents should brush their teeth themselves. This will help you clean thoroughly oral cavity crumbs. Secondly, eliminate all sweets from your baby’s diet. No matter how old a child is, sweets and cakes can bring a minimum of pleasure and a maximum of harm! Replace artificial sugar with regular natural honey. This product of natural origin will not affect dental health and will bring many benefits. general condition body. Just remember that children under 2 years old may not tolerate honey and bee products well, so it is worth introducing this product into the baby’s diet gradually. Thirdly, children after 2 years of age should be offered to eat a little block or orange after the main meal. These fruits increase salivation and help reduce the number of germs in the mouth.

Strong bad breath in a child, the causes of which lie in improper hygiene and eating inappropriate foods, can be eliminated independently. The main thing is to carefully consider this problem.

Bad breath is called halitosis. Strong bad breath, especially in a child, indicates oral diseases or metabolic problems. By the nature of the smell, you can determine the cause of this disease and prescribe a specific treatment. The smell from a child’s mouth may be acetone, ammonia, putrefactive, etc. We will tell you more about this in this article.

Causes of bad breath in children

Causes of bad breath in children include:

1. Insufficient oral hygiene - in this case, the cause may be inappropriate toothpaste or neglect of oral hygiene.
2. Infection in the oral cavity - the activity of pathogenic microorganisms can create a putrid odor from the mouth of a child.
3. Dysfunction of the salivary glands - a change in bad breath may indicate a violation of the composition of saliva, as well as an insufficient level of secretion.
4. Difficulty in nasal breathing reduces the protective functions of the oral mucosa, and inflammation occurs. Also, with nasal breathing disorders, infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
5. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
6. Metabolic disorder.

Sometimes the appearance of a foreign odor from the mouth can be a manifestation of stress, in which case the phenomenon quickly passes. In some cases, halitosis indicates problems with the cardiovascular system, pathologies nervous system, immunodeficiency conditions, hereditary diseases.

If the problem occurs frequently and lasts for long periods of time, you should consult a doctor.

Types of smell and possible diseases

How to treat?

If a foreign odor appears from a child’s mouth, the following steps must be taken:

1. Contact your dentist for an oral examination. If no diseases were detected, it is necessary to continue the examination
2. A consultation with a pediatrician will help collect the child’s medical history and draw up a list of further studies. Then you will need to undergo an examination as prescribed by your pediatrician.
3. An examination by an ENT doctor will help determine otitis media, tonsillitis, sore throat and inflammation of the adenoids. Also, halitosis can occur with frequent ARVI, sinusitis and pharyngitis.
4. Consultation with a gastroenterologist for disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and biliary tract. You may have to do an ultrasound of the liver and gallbladder, and undergo gastroduodenoscopy.
5. Take general tests: urine, blood, feces, to determine possible problems: inflammation, gastrointestinal diseases, kidney diseases, anemia.
6. Donate blood for biochemistry to identify metabolic problems, hormonal imbalances and diabetes.

Once the source of the problem has been identified, it is necessary to follow the instructions of the attending physician, providing the child with all the conditions for a speedy recovery. A specialist prescribes a set of treatment measures; you can take preventive measures yourself.

Preventing bad breath in children

To prevent halitosis in children, the following actions should be taken:

1. Choose a toothpaste suitable for the child, teach the child to independently monitor the cleanliness of the oral cavity.
2. Eliminate excess sweet foods, limit salt and spices.
3. Take measures to stop dysbiosis: consume probiotics, include fermented milk products in your diet.
4. Wash fresh vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating.
5. Give your child more clean drinking water, especially in hot weather. A child over four years old needs to drink about one and a half liters of water, not counting tea, juices and liquids in food.
6. To improve the smell of your breath, you can use herbal decoctions and chew chewing gum after eating food.
7. You need to start taking care of oral hygiene from the age of six months: you can buy a special soft brush at the pharmacy and brush your teeth, gums, tongue and inner surface cheeks first without paste. Starting from one and a half years old, you can buy special children's toothpastes, with their help it will be possible to prevent caries and accustom the baby to regular brushing of teeth.
8. Also, you need to strengthen the baby’s immunity. Introduce complementary foods according to age, choose dietary and hypoallergenic foods. Over-salted, spicy foods, canned foods and fast food products should be avoided.
9. To monitor your health, you must regularly visit a pediatrician at your place of residence.

Halitosis can appear regardless of age category. If a 1 year old child has bad breath, it may indicate poor oral hygiene. If, after hygiene procedures, the baby’s breath still smells bad, this is a cause for concern. If such a symptom accompanies the child constantly, you should consult a doctor and find out the cause.

The smell from the mouth of an infant should only be milky. If bad breath occurs, the reasons for this may be different, but are mainly associated with poor nutrition of the nursing mother, or with the development of any problems with the digestive organs, or with the development of other diseases in the body. If a baby has a sour smell from the mouth, this may be a signal of increased acidity in the stomach or the development of reflux. It is very important to visit a doctor as soon as possible, since such a symptom is not the norm.

In a baby

Most often, a light sour aroma is felt from the baby's mouth. This is due to constant use breast milk. Since the digestive system of children of this age is not yet fully formed, a pronounced sour aroma is sometimes felt. This often occurs after a baby burps.

In some cases, such a symptom occurs in the morning, but if it goes away on its own, there is no need to worry. When the digestive system matures, all troubles will go away on their own, and within a period of up to a year, the intestines are populated with opportunistic microflora, necessary for a full digestion process. If quantity pathogenic microorganisms exceeds the amount of useful ones, dysbacteriosis occurs, it often causes the appearance of a bad odor and other unpleasant manifestations that accompany the development of the child.

Also, the predominance of pathogenic microorganisms and unpleasant breath are associated with the following factors:

• weakened immune system;
• severe hypothermia;
• lack of adequate nutrition;
• excessive feeding, when the intestines do not have time to digest food;
• overwork or fatigue;
• suffered acute respiratory viral diseases.

In these conditions, there is an active struggle between lactic bacteria and pathogenic microorganisms, and against this background, acidic halitosis occurs from the oral cavity.

It is much more alarming if the symptom remains constantly and does not go away. In this case, you need to consult a doctor, who will determine why the child has unpleasant symptoms and what to do if the child is sick with something.

Other reasons for this symptom in a baby:

1. Poor nutrition for a nursing mother. For example, if she abuses harmful, spicy foods.
2. Nasal congestion and difficulty breathing, which causes dryness of the oral mucosa.

The problem can be easily eliminated; the mother should adjust her diet, humidify the air in the room, and use saline solutions to moisten her nose. If dysbiosis is present, treatment is prescribed by a pediatrician.

In a child who is bottle-fed

In children who are bottle-fed, halitosis often occurs as a result of a lack of fluid in the body. Another cause of the problem is disease of the ENT organs. This aroma often provokes a runny nose or sinusitis. Rotting food debris in the oral cavity also causes a problem if proper hygiene is lacking.

Such babies often burp, especially during the first months of life. This may also be accompanied by halitosis. Parents should ensure that the child eats the right amount of formula and avoid overeating.

Lack of proper hygiene

You need to take care of hygiene from an early age. If the necessary procedures are not present, after eating food, bacteria actively multiply in the oral cavity. Hygiene is very important at any age, even if teeth are still missing. IN in this case The mouth should be cleaned with a special silicone brush. You can also remove any remaining milk or formula using clean water.

When the first tooth appears, hygiene measures must be thorough. You should not think that baby teeth will fall out along with caries, and the molars will be healthy. The condition of the permanent teeth directly depends on the condition of the baby teeth. If you have any problems with your teeth or gums, you should contact a pediatric dentist, who will take the necessary measures, cure caries and other possible diseases.

Possible diseases

The appearance of halitosis may indicate possible diseases in the body. An unpleasant symptom can be caused by dysfunction of the digestive system, liver problems, or diseases of the ENT system. To establish the cause, you should visit a pediatrician, dentist, or otolaryngologist. Only a doctor can determine why such a symptom appeared and eliminate it.

The most common diseases of the respiratory system, which are accompanied by the appearance of halitosis, are:

• exacerbation of tonsillitis - inflammatory process on the surface of the tonsils, other throat diseases (laryngitis, sore throat, pharyngitis, tracheitis);
• runny nose, swelling of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx;
• inflammatory process in the paranasal sinuses – sinusitis;
• otitis – inflammation of the ears;
• otomycosis – infection of the ears by fungus.

When a child is gradually introduced to complementary feeding and other foods other than milk or formula are introduced into the diet, the digestive system may react with bloating, upset, constipation and halitosis. Therefore, when adding new foods to your baby’s diet, you should introduce them gradually, keeping intervals between each of at least two weeks. In some cases, impaired saliva production also causes an unpleasant odor. You should not ignore such a sign; it is better to consult a doctor, determine the cause, and, if necessary, undergo treatment.

When to contact a specialist

If a baby has bad breath, in many cases it is associated with breastfeeding or formula feeding. This condition in a newborn is associated with frequent regurgitation. If halitosis is persistent and accompanied by other symptoms (nausea or vomiting, stomach pain, frequent crying and restlessness of the baby, constipation or diarrhea, ear pain, nasal congestion), it is recommended to visit a specialist.

How can the doctor help?

If a one-year-old child has bad breath, treatment is carried out depending on the problem detected. The dentist will treat tooth decay and other oral diseases. An otolaryngologist will treat otitis media, runny nose and throat diseases. A gastroenterologist will treat pathologies and inflammatory processes in the digestive organs. If it smells sour after regurgitation, this is normal; this symptom will go away on its own after changing the baby’s diet.

What can you do at home?

You can eliminate bad breath by cleaning your mouth. If it stinks, we regularly clean the baby’s gums, tongue and inner surface of the cheeks with a special silicone brush, and after teething, daily hygiene should become mandatory.

Elimination of a bad odor in a child can also be done using products approved for this age (there are special children's rinses that can be used to wipe the gums and tongue by dropping a small amount onto gauze or a piece of cotton wool).

The importance of breastfeeding

Bad breath in a 7-month-old baby, if he is breastfed or formula-fed, is normal. But only if such a symptom appears in a child under one year of age after feeding or regurgitation. It is very important to save breast-feeding for the baby as long as possible, since along with milk the baby receives large number nutrients. Health and nutrition are dependent on each other.

An unpleasant odor in a baby can be eliminated by cleaning the baby's mouth. Expectant mother should eat properly throughout pregnancy to exclude possible diseases in the future. It is important to ensure normal humidity in the room, if necessary, purchase an air humidifier, and ventilate the room in which the child is located as often as possible. Maintain drinking regime.

Even from the most well-groomed and handsome man the impression can be spoiled by bad breath, which he himself does not always notice. Doctors say this is not only an aesthetic defect, but also a serious signal of health problems, which in official medicine has several names: halitosis or halitosis, ozostomia, stomatodysodia. It is especially important to establish its cause if it is observed in a child. What causes this problem and how to fix it?

Causes of bad breath in children

A lot of different factors can lead to halitosis, some of which can be easily eliminated and are not serious diseases, so parents should not immediately worry about the baby’s health. Often there is more than one cause of bad breath in a child, so to solve the problem you will have to take care to prevent all the most likely ones. These include:

• poor nutrition;
• water balance disturbance;
• psycho-emotional factors;
• improper oral hygiene or lack thereof;
• foreign body in the nasal passages;
• diseases of internal organs, endocrine system;
• long-term use of medications - antibiotics, cytostatics, antihistamines (cause dryness of the oral mucosa, lead to changes in chemical composition saliva);
• colds.

Poor nutrition

Some food products tend to leave a trace in the form of an unpleasant aroma in the mouth: mostly they themselves have a sharp, specific odor. Some need to be eaten in small quantities to feel it immediately, while others only manifest themselves with long-term use. Doctors list these products as:

• Onions, garlic, radishes, cabbage - due to the large quantity essential oils they remind you of themselves for a long time.
• Cheese (hard varieties) - during the digestion process, it releases a large amount of sulfur, which is released in the exhaled air.
• Sweets stimulate an increase in the number of bacteria in the mouth and rot in the intestines because they take a long time to digest.
• Protein food is also prone to rotting due to prolonged digestion if the child eats it daily and several times a day. This is especially true for meat.
• Fruits, legumes, grapes - fresh and in large quantities are difficult to digest and cause fermentation in the intestines. A similar reaction to vegetables is possible.

Water imbalance

With regular consumption of liquid (meaning only clean water), the child rinses the mouth, washes away bacteria, plaque, removes food debris, and prevents saliva from thickening. Additionally, water stimulates the digestion process, which indirectly affects the normal functioning of internal organs. If the water regime is not observed, the mechanism is disrupted, especially if the problem persists not for several days, but for a long period.

Stressful situations

The main role in the fight against unpleasant odors (deactivation of substances released by bacteria) is played by saliva, the chemical composition of which changes greatly if a person experiences psycho-emotional stress. A child is more susceptible to such conditions than an adult. With anxiety, depression, emotional stress, and frequent stress, the amount of saliva produced is significantly reduced, which leads to the appearance of an unpleasant odor. The problem is solved independently when the factors that provoked the psycho-emotional stress are eliminated.

Poor oral hygiene

A large number of bacteria constantly live in the oral cavity, which causes an unpleasant, but not too pronounced odor in the morning, which is easily eliminated. If the baby is not taught to brush his teeth after eating, after waking up and before going to bed, bacteria will accumulate in the interdental spaces, on the mucous membranes, and on the tongue. This will be complemented by rotting food particles, giving rise to the formation of plaque and the occurrence of caries, stomatitis, tartar, which will cause constant bad breath.

Foreign body entering the nasal passages

Infants or slightly older children (1-3 years) often, while playing, try to taste any object they can reach. If it is small, it is possible that it will end up in the nasal passages, where it may be forgotten. This leads to difficulty breathing, accumulation of mucus, and in some cases, to the decomposition of a foreign body if it is of organic (natural) origin. If this is the only problem, you will see a positive result immediately when you get rid of the item.

Diseases of organs and body systems

Disturbances in the functioning of the digestive tract can lead to an unpleasant odor - this is considered the most common cause not only in children. Mostly this symptom is accompanied by diseases of the stomach and intestines. It is possible that halitosis may occur against the background of bacterial, viral or fungal infections of the respiratory tract - tonsillitis, thrush, bronchitis, pharyngitis. In some children, the smell appears even with prolonged infectious rhinitis, since the purulent masses in the discharge mucus are actively decomposing.

Symptoms of halitosis in children

To independently identify the probable cause of halitosis, you should study the accompanying symptoms: abdominal pain with gastrointestinal diseases, stool color with problems with the liver and bile secretion, breathing problems, runny nose with infections of the ENT organs. Additionally, it is worth paying attention to the nature of the smell that comes from the baby’s mouth.

Acetone smell

The most likely cause of this problem is the excessive formation of ketone bodies, which release large amounts of acetone in the air and urine. The situation arises against the background of abuse of protein foods or acetonemic syndrome (pathological metabolic disorder), liver diseases. The problem can be aggravated by nervous shock, colds, excessive anxiety, and fluid deficiency. If there is a strong solvent odor due to acetone syndrome, the following may occur:

• vomit;
• dark circles under the eyes;
• poor appetite;
• attacks of headaches.

Sour

From babies with high acidity of gastric juice, with any violation of the diet (especially abuse simple carbohydrates) may smell like vinegar: the problem often resolves after returning to a proper diet. A common cause is the reflux of food from the stomach into the esophagus - a sour odor from the child’s mouth will appear during belching (the leading symptom) and may persist for several hours after it.

Putrid odor from a child's mouth

Among all types of halitosis, this is the most common and accompanies mainly diseases of the oral cavity. A putrid aroma can appear during the development of caries, stomatitis, and occur with pharyngitis and sore throat. Symptoms are specific to each disease. Its source is accumulations of bacteria or mucus (in the nasopharynx), and for some diseases the situation is aggravated by plaque on the tongue. With rhinitis, if the child breathes through the mouth, this situation is also possible. It is observed much less frequently in children who have low acidity of gastric juice.

Purulent

Pathologies of the respiratory system, esophagus, dental diseases - the general range of reasons for situations where the baby smells of pus or rot is approximately the same. For most parents, there is not even a difference in these scents. Their development mechanism is also identical - against the background of accumulation and decomposition of food particles, or rotting mucus with pathogenic bacteria. Symptoms depend on the specific disease.

Sweetish

The cause of a strong sweet odor in a child may be candidiasis, a disease caused by the Candida fungus. It is present on the mucous membranes even in a healthy person, but under the influence of a number of factors it becomes pathogenic and triggers the process of formation of a white cheesy coating on the tongue, lips, and gums. If the aroma is closer to the aroma of raw liver, it may be caused by pathological conditions of this organ, especially cirrhosis or hepatitis, causing a jaundiced tint of the skin, high level bilirubin in the blood.

Smell of iodine

If baby long time lived by the sea, there will be an increase in iodine levels in the blood, which will lead to a specific odor from the skin and breath. A similar situation arises if the child is intolerant to a given element, but it was used during treatment. In other situations, an examination of the thyroid gland is required to determine the cause.

Metallic taste and iron smell

If the problem is permanent, the development of anemia (anemia) is possible, especially when both signs (smell and taste) are present together for a long time. If symptoms arise after eating and then disappear, it is worth looking for reasons in the diet, overeating - increased stress on the stomach. The following are also allowed:

• bladder diseases;
• gastritis;
• intestinal diseases (accompanied by a coating on the tongue).

Ammoniacal

Problems with the urinary system are considered the most likely cause of the smell of ammonia when the substance of the same name accumulates in the body. This happens because the kidneys do not have time to completely remove waste products, which is especially noticeable against the background of long-term medication use and fluid deficiency. Possible diseases that provoke this situation include pyelonephritis (inflammation of the renal pelvis, calyx and parenchyma), neoplasms or kidney stones, and renal failure.

Rotten egg smell

This symptom accompanies diseases of the liver associated with impaired functioning of the pancreas, and biliary dyskinesia. It is also typical for most problems with the digestive system:

• dysbacteriosis;
• increased gas formation;
• gastritis;
• intestinal disorders (due to dehydration);
• diseases of the esophagus.

Yeast

The activity of fungi of the genus Candida is the main reason why a baby will smell of yeast: only these microorganisms are capable of secreting specific substances with such an aroma. The main symptoms are a cheesy coating on the mucous membranes of the cheeks and tongue. The problem requires immediate medical attention, especially if it affects a baby.

What diseases can cause bad breath in a child?

Doctors call the most likely cause gastroesophageal reflux - the reverse movement of food in the stomach through the lower sphincter (valve) into the esophagus. In infants this is considered normal, for one-year-old babies it is already a disruption of the digestive tract. The causes of bad breath in children do not end there, since they also include:

• oral diseases;
• ENT infections;
• liver and kidney diseases;
• pathologies of the endocrine system.

Diseases of teeth and gums

Gingivitis (inflammatory process in the gums), caries, pulpitis (inflammation of the pulp due to tooth decay), which occurs mainly due to violation of the rules of daily oral hygiene, are common causes of halitosis in people of all ages. Bad breath in infants is often caused by:

• The process of teething is accompanied by increased salivation, swelling of the gums and its inflammation.
• Candidiasis is a fungal disease characterized by a thick white coating in the mouth.

Chronic nasal congestion

Doctors are confident in the strong connection between adenoids and halitosis in a child, since the overgrown lymphoid tissue is in a constant state of inflammation. On its surface there is an accumulation of mucus containing pathogenic bacteria and having a putrid odor. Due to the appearance of an obstacle to the passage of air through the nose, the child is forced to breathe through the mouth, which dries out and injures the mucous membrane, aggravating the situation.

Infections of the upper respiratory tract and ENT organs

The accumulation of mucus, consisting of pathogenic microorganisms, is the main cause of changes in the chemical composition of the air in the mouth and its odor. This is especially true for bacterial infections, in which pus appears. The most common diseases causing halitosis in a child:

• Sore throat (tonsillitis) is an inflammatory process in the tonsils, accompanied by the formation of purulent plugs in their lacunae (cavities) and the proliferation of microbes in the nasopharynx.
• Sinusitis, rhinitis - mucus flowing down the back wall of the throat during a runny nose gradually stagnates, the process of rotting begins, so the child’s mouth may smell unpleasant.
• Pneumonia, bronchitis - in an adult, the internal organs function in such a way that there is no need to forcibly clear the lungs of mucus that accumulates during an infectious disease. In an infant due to the imperfection of the body this process has not yet been established, so pneumonia and bronchitis often occur, accompanied by the unpleasant aroma of coughing up mucus.

Respiratory diseases and acute respiratory infections

Influenza, parainfluenza, colds and other viral infections or respiratory diseases lead to an increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria at the “entrance gate” of the disease: in the mouth or nasal passages. If the matter is aggravated by temperature, dehydration occurs, signs of intoxication appear, and the mucous membranes of the mouth dry out (if the child breathes through the mouth). An unpleasant odor becomes a natural companion to this condition of the baby.

Digestive system problems

Most cases of halitosis occur due to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, ulcers, gastroduodenitis), digestive disorders, and dysbacteriosis. Accurate diagnosis Only a gastroenterologist can diagnose it, who will study the results of instrumental examinations, since there are many causes of halitosis associated with the digestive system. In addition to the problems listed above, the following are possible:

• neoplasms and tumors;
• excessive secretion of gastric juice, increased acidity;
• disruption of the gastric sphincters (valves).

Kidney and liver diseases

If a child smells of ammonia when he opens his mouth, he may have problems with the kidneys and hepatobiliary system (liver, pancreas, gallbladder). With liver diseases, the smell is rotten or sweetish, and gradually it begins to emanate from the skin. Among the possible diseases:

• chronic renal or liver failure;
• hepatitis;
• pyelonephritis.

Diabetes mellitus

In a healthy person, glucose entering the body is transported into cells through insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. If this process is disrupted (against the background of pathological changes in the organ that synthesizes insulin), which occurs in diabetes, cellular starvation occurs. Glucose gradually accumulates, the level of ketone bodies further increases, and this leads to the appearance of a pungent odor. It is eliminated and prevented solely by following a special diet.

What to do and how to treat

Eliminating the problem is possible only after finding out the cause of halitosis, so for proper treatment you should visit a doctor (first a pediatrician, then visits to a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, or dentist are possible), and take blood and urine tests. Recovery may take several weeks or months. At home, be sure to do the following:

• Teaching the child the correct use of a brush, paste, and dental floss for daily hygiene, explaining to the child the process of brushing teeth.
• Rinsing the mouth with chamomile or calendula infusions after each meal.
• Providing the baby with plenty of fluids.
• Treatment of diseases of the digestive system, following a special diet if necessary.

Prevention

Eliminating all the most common causes of halitosis in a child is the main method of protection against it. Most of the methods of prevention are related to the main therapeutic measures, only they must be observed in combination, and not selectively:

• Maintaining oral hygiene - systematic brushing of teeth, rinsing after meals, using dental floss in school-age children. A one-year-old baby's gums are cleaned with a bandage.
• Normalize nutrition - regulate the amount of sweets in the diet, give the child apples and carrots more often. Do not overuse fresh fruits, especially grapes, do not give meat too often (2-3 times a week), exclude carbonated drinks.
• Drinking enough fluids – clean water is a priority. It should be drunk at least 1 liter per day, depending on the age of the child. A baby over six months old is given clean boiled water between meals (mother's milk).

Bad breath from a baby can occur for a variety of reasons, from stress to diseases of the digestive system. Most often, halitosis in children occurs due to untimely brushing of teeth, excessive dryness in the mouth and nose; it goes away after cleansing and moisturizing. If your child constantly has bad breath, you should immediately consult a doctor. Osostomia (as doctors call halitosis) may be the first sign of a serious illness; parents should not take this symptom lightly. It is advisable to consult a dentist to check the condition of the baby’s teeth and gums. If the unpleasant symptom does not disappear, contact your pediatrician and do general analysis blood, depending on its results, contact specialists.

Bad breath in a child can indicate many diseases.

Specific pungent odor

Parents should be alarmed by the specific smell from the baby’s mouth, which does not go away after hygiene procedures. Limit your baby's consumption of sweets and heavy protein foods, and ensure he drinks plenty of fluids. Usually, after these events, children's halitosis goes away.

Below we will tell you which smells should cause an instant reaction from parents.

Acetone (acetic, solvent)

The smell of acetone or a chemical solvent coming from the baby, especially in the background elevated temperature, should cause maximum concern for parents. It appears in acetonemic syndrome, a dangerous condition that is quite common in children of all ages. If you suspect its occurrence, you must immediately call an ambulance, before the doctors arrive, and give the baby boiled water often and in small quantities (a teaspoon).

A slight acetone smell can be a sign of kidney disease, malfunction of the pancreas, helminthiasis (worms), dysbacteriosis, and diabetes. In any case, it is advisable to consult a doctor immediately.

Putrefactive

Appears with insufficient oral hygiene, the occurrence of ENT diseases (tonsillitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, in parallel the child has a white tongue, a stuffy nose, a cough), stomatitis, caries, low acidity of the stomach (the baby often has a stomach ache), the presence of diseases of the esophagus . You should consult a dentist, ENT specialist, gastroenterologist, systematically brush your teeth with a children's toothbrush and toothpaste, and ensure drinking regime.

Purulent

A pungent purulent odor accompanies chronic inflammation and overgrowth lymphoid tissue in the baby's nasopharynx. The tonsils become covered with purulent plaque, plugs form, emitting an unpleasant odor. The child has a high fever, a sore throat, a runny nose, and a coated tongue. Contact your pediatrician; antibiotic treatment may be necessary. After recovery, your breath will become fresh again.

Another reason for bad breath against the background of copious discharge of dense yellowish snot can be the presence of some object in the baby’s nostril. Contact your ENT specialist to examine your baby's nose.

Sourish

If your baby has a sour breath, this may indicate increased acidity and an inflammatory process in the stomach. It is necessary to contact a gastroenterologist and check the baby for the presence of gastritis. The second cause of bad breath is reflux, or the entry of gastric juice into the baby’s esophagus. In this case, the patient suffers from heartburn and pain in the hypochondrium.

Sweetish

Does your baby have a cloying sweet aroma from his mouth? There is reason to suspect liver problems. It is important to promptly visit a gastroenterologist - the symptom occurs with hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver.

Chemical

If your toddler smells of chemicals, it is advisable to check the condition of the digestive organs, especially the gallbladder; this symptom is characteristic of biliary dyskinesia.

Chlorine

The specific smell of chlorine mixed with metallic notes appears with increased bleeding gums and periodontal disease. Contact your dentist and check the condition of your baby's teeth and gums.

Yoda

The appearance of the smell of iodine is a reason to urgently contact an endocrinologist, as it may indicate an excess of iodine that accumulates in the baby’s body. This condition can occur after a long stay at sea, after taking iodine preparations, or in the presence of thyroid pathology. In infants, an iodine tint appears when infected with Klebsiella, a bacterium that enters the child's body with unwashed fruit and affects the stomach and intestines.

Bile

If a newborn's breath smells like bile, this may indicate poor bile flow. Consult a doctor, do an ultrasound of your organs abdominal cavity, take general tests.

Gland

The presence of a metallic taste and iron smell from the baby’s mouth may indicate the occurrence of iron deficiency anemia. You should take a blood test to determine your hemoglobin level, and if the diagnosis is confirmed, take vitamin complexes with high iron content.

The second reason is the presence of gastritis, high acidity, dysbiosis, and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Urine

An ammonia smell indicates kidney pathologies, as well as diabetes. The reason for its appearance is a decrease in insulin levels and impaired carbohydrate metabolism.

Kala

It is extremely rare. It is mainly associated with poor heredity, appears with metabolic disorders, and sometimes accompanies acute intestinal dysbiosis. Diagnosed by an endocrinologist or gastroenterologist.

Rotten eggs

Belching, the smell of rotten eggs, and a white coating on the tongue are symptoms of gastritis, ulcers, liver disease, and impaired bile flow. If you find halitosis in a newborn or older child, you should contact a gastroenterologist.

Yeast

If a baby smells of yeast, this is a reason to suspect candidiasis. Often a sick stomach is also expressed by a yeasty aroma. Recognize the real reason An experienced general practitioner will be able to do this, and he will refer you for examination if gastrointestinal diseases are suspected.

Strange smell from the mouth during ARVI

During illness, ARVI, sore throat, especially in the presence of high fever, parents notice that the smell emanating from the child’s mouth has changed. Unpleasant-smelling pus covering the baby’s tonsils, purulent sinusitis, or the presence of an infection in the lung can trigger the appearance of halitosis, which goes away after the baby recovers. Frequent rinsing of the mouth with antiseptic solutions promotes rapid recovery and relief from halitosis.

Causes of halitosis in children

The appearance of halitosis in children of any age can be caused by a variety of reasons, ranging from insufficient oral hygiene to the presence of a foreign body in the nose. It is important to correctly diagnose, determine the true cause of osostomy and, if possible, eliminate it.

Lack of moisture in the body

Causes increased viscosity of saliva, poor digestion, which can cause bad breath. Infant newborn The main liquid is obtained from mother's milk; in hot weather it is necessary to give boiled water to drink. A 4-5 year old child should drink approximately 1.5 liters of liquid per day, not limited to juices and teas. It is important to give your little one something to drink drinking water which helps improve digestion.

Poor oral hygiene

With the appearance of the first tooth, the baby should be accustomed to oral hygiene procedures. Children under two or three years old should have their teeth brushed by one of their parents. From the age of three, children should be taught to brush their teeth correctly on their own. Improper and insufficient cleaning of plaque contributes to the appearance of halitosis, which resolves after thorough brushing of the teeth.

Poor nutrition

If a child systematically overeats, consumes fatty foods fried foods, generously seasoned with onions and garlic, the heavy smell from the mouth will haunt him constantly. It is important to adjust the baby’s nutritional system according to his age needs, observing the drinking regime.

Stressful situation

Strong emotional shock, stress, and vivid emotions are a real test for a newborn. They cause dry mouth, which contributes to halitosis. In a stressful situation, you need to give the child a drink of water or sour juice, suck a slice of tangerine or lemon; such simple steps promote active salivation and make the child’s breathing clean and easy.

Unpleasant smell in the morning

Babies may experience bad breath after sleep. It is caused by the fact that saliva is not released at night during sleep, bacteria multiply, causing halitosis. It is enough to brush your teeth with a brush and toothpaste - and the unpleasant phenomenon disappears on its own.

Chronic nasal congestion

If your baby's mouth smells like snot, you need to pay attention to the condition of the mucous membrane of the nose. With chronic rhinitis, nasal breathing is difficult, and dry crusts form in the nasal passages. It is necessary to moisturize the surface of the mucous membrane, monitor humidity, ventilate the room well and carry out wet cleaning.

Presence of a foreign body in the nasal passages

A strong putrid odor accompanied by thick yellow discharge from the nasal passages should alert you. These symptoms are characteristic of a foreign object entering the nasal passages - beads, buttons, a piece of fruit. You should consult a doctor or emergency room as soon as possible to remove the foreign body. Otherwise, serious complications are possible, including suffocation.

Diseases of teeth and gums

Caries, stomatitis, gingivitis and other dental diseases can cause bad breath. A careful examination will reveal a carious lesion in the baby’s mouth. Even if there is no visible damage to the tooth enamel, it is necessary to consult a dentist to rule out the presence of oral diseases.

Upper respiratory tract diseases

Sore throat, tonsillitis, adenoiditis, bronchitis provoke the occurrence of halitosis in children. The pus that accumulates on the surface of the tonsils, in the lacunae, on the back wall of the throat has an unpleasant smell. The cause of the disease should be treated, gargling with an antiseptic solution; in difficult cases, antibiotic therapy is necessary.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

When the little man's mouth smells like solvent, sour milk, vinegar, indigestion and diarrhea are observed, this indicates problems with gastrointestinal tract. Consult a gastroenterologist; sometimes it is enough to adjust the baby’s diet, and the problem disappears without a trace. In more complex cases, special treatment is indicated.

Teething odor

When a baby is teething, temporary halitosis may occur, caused by inflammation of the gums and the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. The baby's gums are red, painful and swollen. The dentist will recommend special medications that reduce the baby’s discomfort during teething.

Treatment of unpleasant odor

In most cases, ozostomy does not require special treatment. It is enough to systematically thoroughly brush your teeth and gums, review your diet, limit your consumption of sweets, give him enough liquid per day, and the unpleasant symptom will disappear on its own. If after a few days it does not disappear, you need to consult a specialist, undergo an examination and determine the cause of halitosis.

Parents should be especially concerned about the smell of acetone emanating from the baby - in this case, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance or take the baby to the hospital to prevent the occurrence of acetone syndrome.

Preventive measures

To promptly prevent the appearance of halitosis in your baby, you must follow a few simple rules:

1. Brush your baby's teeth thoroughly twice a day, starting when the first tooth emerges. It is necessary to teach your child how to use a brush and toothpaste correctly to remove plaque from the surface of the teeth.
2. Adhere to the age-specific nutrition system, introduce vegetables, fruits, and foods rich in phosphorus and calcium into your child’s diet.
3. Eliminate sugar, chocolate, and other sweets from your diet and replace them with honey.
4. Give your child plenty of fluids, especially drinking water.
5. Visit your dentist regularly to prevent the development of caries.

The most pleasant smell in the world is the smell of a newborn baby. The baby smells of milk and vanilla, in addition it smells of tenderness, velvet, affection and love. The child grows up and acquires an individual aroma characteristic of a person. One morning, the mother will be horrified when she smells the baby’s foul breath - a picture familiar to some parents.

Normally, the air from children's mouths is neutral and does not attract attention. But from time to time a sharp, unpleasant aroma is felt, causing anxiety among parents. The reasons for the appearance of a child are different, let’s look at the most common:

More often, odors are temporary and not associated with pathology. They change throughout the day, appearing and disappearing. This is normal.

Smell at a certain age

As a child grows up, the smells coming from a child's mouth change. Age characteristics will tell the parent the reason. What is the difference between the aroma of a baby’s breath and a teenager’s:

What smell indicates illness?

Sometimes an unpleasant odor appears as a symptom of illness. How to understand when it is enough to carry out a hygienic procedure, and when a doctor’s help is required? Halitosis is not a disease, but helps identify an associated disease. Rate the scent and compare whether it matches the description:

• Purulent or putrefactive, accompanies diseases of the ENT organs: tonsillitis, sinusitis, etc. Smells of pus are felt in the presence of stomatitis and dental caries. Examine the oral cavity; you may quickly find the source of inflammation.
• Sour speaks of gastrointestinal pathologies, dysbacteriosis or candidiasis of the oral mucosa.
• indicates an abundance of hydrogen sulfide gases in the stomach; rotten indicates possible diseases stomach.
• A sweetish aroma is an alarming sign; a cloying sweet smell indicates liver disease.
• If you feel the taste of acetone in your baby’s breath, this may be a consequence of diabetes or gastrointestinal diseases, and requires urgent medical attention.
• The fetid smell of rot appears during a cold, ARVI, or runny nose, which means that an inflammatory process is developing in the body.
• If bile enters the esophagus, the child may smell like vomit, although he has not vomited.

Directly, breath aromas are not a symptom of the disease, they do not need to be treated, but in combination with other signs they give impetus to a correct diagnosis if you see the signs: high temperature, runny nose, unnatural color of urine, pain, the child gets tired quickly. If the smell does not go away for months, go to see your pediatrician. The doctor will conduct a comprehensive examination.

How to get rid of bad breath?

If the “aroma” is the result of a disease, follow the doctor’s instructions. Be sure to follow the prescribed procedures and undergo the prescribed additional examination. When the root cause is eliminated, the smell goes away. What to do if the child is healthy, but the smell is still present? The well-known doctor Komarovsky in Russia gives recommendations:

How to mask bad breath if you can’t eliminate it completely

One of the causes of bad breath is taking medications. The aroma will accompany the child until the medication is stopped, becoming stronger with each dose received. Or, a more frequent case, is when the baby eats something odorous (fresh onions), and you need to take the child to classes or on a visit. How to mask or eliminate an unpleasant odor:

1. Brush your teeth, gums and tongue with a mint or pine aroma paste, rinse your mouth with an alcohol-free mouthwash.
2. Hold it in your mouth and chew another product with a strong but pleasant odor. For example, mint or lemon balm (possibly dried), citrus fruit zest.
3. Rinse your mouth with a decoction of herbs. They remove odors well: oak bark, mint, chamomile, lemon balm, rose hips.
4. Give your teenager a coffee bean or a piece of ginger. Coffee absorbs foreign odors.
5. Use an alcohol-free refreshing spray or sugar-free chewing gum.

Don't mask the smell unless you know the reason. Perhaps this is the only sign of a hidden disease.

Your baby's scent is light and delicate. With proper care, it will remain pleasant for many years. Compliance with the rules of hygiene, daily routine and nutrition and timely contact with a pediatrician is the key to good health for children. Take care of him.