Bad breath from a child

A strong unpleasant odor from the mouth in a child can occur in children of all ages (in some cases even in infants). The medical term for this condition is halitosis.

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Causes of the bad breath in the child

There are several reasons for halitosis in a child - among the main ones:

• Individual drinks or food (such as onions or garlic, corn, cheese, and also individual juices) may temporarily impair the smell. Causes of the appearance in the mouth of a variety of pathogenic bacteria that emit an unpleasant odor may be excessive consumption of sweets;
• Lack of oral hygiene - as children basically do not like to brush their teeth and do it infrequently, there is an unpleasant smell, because without regular brushing teeth in the mouth begin to accumulate bacteria. The smell can be, among other things, a symptom of caries or problems with the gums;
• Fungi in the oral cavity. With a healthy microflora in the mouth, the balance of microbes and fungi is observed, but in the event of destabilization of this balance, an inflammatory process begins that is accompanied by a bad odor. Imbalance can occur as a result of improper nutrition (for example, if the child eats a lot of products containing starch). This disease manifests itself in the form of white dots in the tongue, lips or cheeks on the inside. In case of occurrence of such signs it is necessary to show the kid to the doctor;
• Scuffle in the child's tongue. It must be remembered that in addition to teeth, children need to also clean the tongue, because food particles accumulate in the unevenness of the tongue, which causes the reproduction of bacteria and a bad smell. Clean the tongue regularly. Babies should be wiped with a damp clean gauze;
• Breathing with the mouth - this process contributes to dry mouth, which can cause a bad smell;
• Slime in the sinus sinuses of the nose. The slime accumulating in the nasopharynx and sinuses is a fairly common pathology, which results in a bad smell from the mouth, as well as an unpleasant aftertaste. Children who suffer from chronic sinusitis or seasonal allergies are also susceptible to halitosis, because as a result of breathing, the natural moisture in the nasopharynx drains, and the accumulated mucus creates a smell. Provoke its occurrence can also separate anti-cold or anti-allergenic drops for the nose;
• Problems with tonsils in chronic tonsillitis. In this case, pathogenic microbes start to multiply in them, because of what they become friable. Sometimes from the tonsils come out lumps of white and yellow color, having a sharp odor. Usually they are the remains of food, stuck in the tonsils and started the process of decay. With this problem it is necessary to rinse the baby's throat with simple water after each meal. It is also necessary to remove from its diet dairy products (cheese and cottage cheese), seeds;
• Gastrointestinal disorders - due to increased acidity of gastric secretions, the child develops a bad smell from the oral cavity. Sometimes it occurs as a result of eating food, which is too heavy for a baby;
• Fear, stress or strong emotional overexertion - usually the mucous membrane becomes dry or vice versa, saliva begins to develop abundantly. Both of these factors can become causative factors of a bad smell.

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Risk factors

Factors contributing to the development of halitosis in children:

• In the room where the child is, constantly dry air;
• Activity and excessive mobility of the baby, because of what he sweats strongly, which causes drying in the mouth;
• The development of any acute respiratory viral infection (in the case of flu or any cold, the respiratory organs dry up, and they accumulate a lot of mucus, which serves as a source of additional protein for microbes (which, splitting, forms sulfur compounds);
• Various inflammatory processes of a chronic nature in respiratory organs - bronchitis, tonsillitis or pneumonia;
• The presence of caries or periodontal diseases;
• An allergic rhinitis that results in excess mucus accumulating in the cavities of the mouth and nose;
• Inflammation of adenoids.

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Symptoms

In the case of diseases of the digestive system, concomitant symptoms are flatulence, stool changes, regurgitation and eructations, and constipation.

If there is inflammation in the area of the nasopharynx, among other signs - folds are prominent at the lips and nose, and also puffiness under the eyes appears . Also in this case the child will snore in sleep and breathe through the mouth.

In addition, halitosis can accompany the following manifestations:

• Looseness of the teeth or toothache;
• Unpleasant sensations in the throat (pershenia, "com", pain);
• Mucus drips down the back wall of the pharynx;
• Breathing through the nose becomes more complicated;
• Nausea, as well as eructation and heartburn;
• Dryness in the oral cavity;
• Feeling of thirst;
• Unpleasant aftertaste;
• Coughing with blood.

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Forms

There are several types of unpleasant odor that occurs in the mouth of a baby.

Acetone or acetic. Such a smell, especially if the baby also has a high temperature, is a very dangerous signal. This symptom arises with nondiabetic ketoacidosis, which is often manifested in children of different ages. In this case, you need to immediately call the doctor and before his arrival give the baby to drink boiled water - in small portions (a teaspoonful) and often.

A faint smell of acetone may indicate a malfunction in the pancreas, kidney disease, dysbiosis, helminthic invasions, diabetes mellitus. Therefore, when this symptom appears, it is necessary to be examined as soon as possible by the doctor.

Putrid odor usually arises from poor oral hygiene, any kind of ENT disease (pharyngitis, tonsillitis or tonsillitis, this is accompanied by a cough, nasal congestion and white tongue), caries, stomatitis, esophageal diseases or low gastric acidity (the child is often complains of pain in the abdomen). In this case, you need to consult with ENT, dentist and gastroenterologist, and also to ensure that the child regularly cleans his teeth, and ensure him the correct drinking regime.

The sharp smell of pus is mainly a symptom of chronic inflammation, as well as growth in the nasopharynx of a child of lymphoid tissue. The tonsils are then covered with a puffy deposit, which causes plugs that create a bad smell. Additional symptoms are a runny nose, fever, throat swelling, and tongue lagging. You should consult your pediatrician, as treatment with antibiotics may be necessary.

If the child has a sour smell from his mouth, it may have increased acidity in the stomach or inflammation has started there. In this case, you need to examine the baby from a gastroenterologist - maybe he has gastritis. Another reason can be the casting of the gastric secretion in the child's esophagus - while he feels pain behind the sternum and heartburn.

In the case of a sweetish odor, a possible cause may be liver disease. Therefore, it is very important to go to the gastroenterologist as soon as possible - a similar symptom may indicate hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver.

Chemical smell can be a sign of a disease of the digestive organs (in particular it concerns the gallbladder). It occurs with dysfunction of the biliary tract.

The smell of chlorine, to which the metal is mixed, is a sign of periodontitis and high gingival hemorrhage. You should consult a pediatric dentist.

In the case of an odor of iodine, you need to contact the endocrinologist, since this symptom may be a sign of an overabundance of iodine in the body. This condition usually occurs due to a long stay at sea, in case of thyroid disease or after taking iodinated medications. A similar odor can result from infection with a bacterium from the Klebsiella group that penetrates the body together with unwashed fruit - it can provoke acute gastrointestinal infections.

In case of the appearance of a bile odor, it is necessary to perform ultrasound of the abdominal cavity organs and to pass the necessary general tests - this symptom may be a sign of a bad outflow of bile from the gallbladder, cholecystitis and dyskinesia of the bile ducts.

The smell of iron in a baby can be a signal for the development of iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, it is required to donate blood to determine the level of hemoglobin. If the diagnosis is confirmed, you need to use a complex of vitamins that contain iron. Causes can also be high acidity, gastrointestinal diseases, gastritis and dysbacteriosis.

The smell of urine indicates the development of diabetes mellitus or kidney disease. It occurs because of a decrease in the level of insulin, as well as a violation of the metabolism of carbohydrates.

The smell of feces is a rather rare phenomenon and is usually associated with hereditary problems. Occurs in case of violation, intestinal obstruction. Diagnose it may gastroenterologist or endocrinologist.

The smell, giving off rotten eggs, eructations and white deposits, formed in the language, are signs of liver disease, peptic ulcer, gastritis, problems with the outflow of bile. In this case, the child should be led to the gastroenterologist.

In case of a smell of yeast, candidiasis is usually diagnosed. Often this smell accompanies and stomach diseases.

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Diagnostics of the bad breath in the child

During the diagnosis, the analysis of complaints is carried out, as well as anamnesis - how long has galithosis occurred, at what time of day does it usually appear, is there a connection with food intake, is there a disease (in chronic form) of gums, mouth, nose and sinuses, liver , Gastrointestinal tract; whether there is no difficulty with breathing through the nose, etc.

The doctor also assesses the degree of odor with the help of an organoleptic method (its intensity in this case can be estimated in the range of 0-5). In this case, before the procedure, you can not use breath fresheners, mouthwash, and also to drink and eat.

A pediatric dentist examines the tongue and oral cavity (there may be a yellowish or white plaque in the tongue). You should consult a pediatric pulmonologist to exclude lung or bronchial disease, and in addition a pediatric gastroenterologist and in some cases a pediatric otorhinolaryngologist.

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Analyzes

A blood test is performed by means of biochemical analysis (in this case, the level of glucose, liver and renal enzymes is analyzed). Also, the patient takes a stool test to identify possible presence of the eggs of the worm.

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Instrumental diagnostics

There are also procedures for instrumental diagnosis.

Sulfide monitoring, in which, using a special device, a caliper, the physician calculates the number of sulfur compounds in the air that the patient exhales.

Perform pharyngoscopy (examination of the throat) and laryngoscopy (examination of the larynx). In the second case, for more detailed examination, optical devices are used - a flexible fibrolaringoscope and a rigid laryngoscope.

The nose with a nasopharynx is checked through an endoscope.

In some cases, to exclude the disease of the paranasal sinuses, CT or X-ray of this area is performed.

Treatment of the bad breath in the child

In the case of the appearance of halitosis in your child, you must exclude or seriously limit the use of sweets. You can replace them with honey and sour fruits (for example, oranges, apples, etc.), because they are able to increase saliva secretion.

If the smell continues to persist for a long time, you should definitely take the child to a doctor to see the cause of the symptom and find a way to fix it.

Alternative treatment and herbal treatment

There are several methods of alternative treatment of halitosis in a child.

You can rinse your mouth with a decoction of chamomile, sage, mint or strawberry. You need to take 1 tablespoon. Ingredient, pour it with boiling water, and then drain when it cools. Drink 3-4 r. / Day.

To improve the gum, you should use oak bark - this is a well-known fact. It is necessary to pour boiling water 1 tbsp. Ingredient and allow to infuse for half an hour. Further, this tincture needs to rinse the throat and mouth.

To freshen your breath, you can use chewing gum, which is made by an alternative method. It is necessary to melt the beeswax on the fire (100 g), then add 10 drops to it. Juice of lemon, 3 drops. Mint oil, and also 50 g of honey. This mixture must be mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained, and then cool and roll into balls. The resulting "chewing gum" should be chewed several times a day - it helps to eliminate the unpleasant odor and positively affects the oral cavity.

Take mint (1 tablespoon chopped leaves) and pour it with boiling water (0.5 liters), and then press for 30 minutes. The resulting infusion rinses the mouth several times a day.

When a bad smell due to gastric pathology is recommended for 1 month. Take a tincture of wormwood - 1 cup. / day.

Read also:

• Hygienic cleaning of teeth
• Cleaning teeth with soda
• Professional teeth cleaning

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Complications and consequences

The consequence of halitosis can be the social isolation of the child, which can lead to a significant decrease in the quality of life, depression may begin.

Prevention

To prevent the development of bad breath from the child, you must adhere to the following rules:

• It is necessary to thoroughly clean the baby's teeth 2 r. / Day. Immediately after the appearance of his first tooth. At an older age, it is necessary to teach him how to use the brush and properly remove the plaque from his teeth;
• Adhere to the nutrition system appropriate to the age of the child. Introduce in his diet fruits and vegetables, as well as food rich in calcium and phosphorus;
• Remove from the diet chocolate, sugar and other sweets, replacing them with honey;
• A child should drink plenty of fluids, observing the necessary daily intake;
• Regular check-ups at the dentist are necessary to prevent the possibility of caries development.

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Forecast

Unpleasant odor from the mouth of a child can be eliminated quickly and without complications, if timely and correct measures were taken to identify and eliminate it. It is often enough to visit a dentist or a gatroenterologist and start performing the necessary hygiene procedures to return healthy and fresh breath. If a bad smell is ignored, a favorable forecast should not be expected.

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