Bad breath in a child - causes, diagnosis by smell, methods of elimination.
Bad breath from a child’s mouth primarily signals to parents that there is a problem in the body. It is absolutely impossible to ignore such a drawback. Firstly, diseases detected in the initial stages are easier to treat and do not develop into chronic forms. Secondly, bad breath causes discomfort both for the child and for those around him who communicate with him. This can even affect the baby’s communication skills.
What kind of bad breath can a child have?
- The smell from your mouth can be quite varied. Depending on the type of odor, the doctor may prescribe appropriate diagnostics and subsequently surgical treatment. A simply unpleasant, musty odor may characterize insufficient oral hygiene, and possibly problems with teeth
- But if you have checked your teeth, they are shining, there are no blackening, dots, or holes, the mucous membrane is pink, there is no plaque on the tongue, this is a reason to immediately visit your family doctor
- If the baby’s mouth smells of acetone, visit the doctor immediately, as it indicates problems with the kidneys, liver, as well as the initial stage of diabetes mellitus.
- The smell of rot can appear with stomatitis, tonsillitis and other diseases of the oral cavity and nasopharynx
Products against garlic odor
What to do if your breath smells and you don’t have a toothbrush and toothpaste at hand? Try to cover up the unpleasant aroma with food products, among which the following do the best job:
- Recommended fruits are grapes, cherries, apples, apricots, and peach. If you eat something garlicky at a restaurant, just order a fruit dessert. You can even drink juice, although it is not as effective in this case.
- Vegetables include eggplant and potatoes.
- Herbs remove the smell of garlic even more effectively and quickly: parsley, dill, cilantro, basil, peppermint. They not only interrupt the aroma, but also neutralize chemical compounds from garlic.
- Bread, especially black bread, does a good job of counteracting the smell of garlic.
- Walnuts, peanuts, almonds and hazelnuts, as well as pumpkin and sunflower seeds, help combat odor from garlicky dishes. They dull and interrupt them, but do not completely neutralize them.
In an emergency, you can chew natural coffee beans or cardamom.
Your child has bad breath: reasons
As mentioned earlier, the first thing you need to do is check the oral cavity.
If this is not related to teeth, and a trip to the dentist seems pointless, get ready to visit your family doctor. Preliminarily examine the child yourself and prepare a basic list of answers for diagnosis:
- Sore throat, tonsil condition
- Pain or unpleasant symptoms of the tummy (gas formation, cramps, diarrhea or, on the contrary, constipation)
- Concern in the lumbar region, lower abdomen, and genitourinary canals. Is urination free, is there any pain or discomfort when going to the restroom?
- Also prepare the material for testing in order to carry out laboratory tests as quickly as possible
Bad breath in a child with healthy teeth: causes
- We will look at the main causes of unpleasant odor in a child, and which specialist should be contacted in this or that case. First, look at your mouth. Also, if your last visit to the dentist was six months ago or more, it is best to visit him for preventive purposes. It is necessary to accustom your child to regular brushing of teeth from one and a half to two years of age. At an older age, this habit should be reinforced on an intuitive level.
- If the smell appears periodically, analyze the child’s diet on these days. For example, onion and garlic appear immediately, sharply and very specifically. But dairy, fermented milk, and fish products can manifest themselves in very specific ways. Also, in some cases, a musty smell may appear after fried foods, especially meat and fish.
- Diseases of the nasopharynx. Moreover, a fairly common cause of bad breath can be bacteria that have settled in the adenoids. These include frequent (sometimes constant runny nose), frequent acute respiratory viral infections, and even otitis media. If the disease has already been diagnosed and treatment has been prescribed, you don’t have to worry; after recovery, the bad smell will disappear on its own.
- Problems with salivation can also cause bad breath. After all, it is saliva that is responsible for round-the-clock and uninterrupted cleansing of the oral cavity from germs, infections and contaminants from food debris. If a baby complains of dry mouth and will often forgive a sip of water (precisely a sip, since he is not thirsty, but dry mouth requires frequent rinsing of the mouth with water), you need to contact a pediatrician who will conduct a preliminary examination and prescribe the necessary treatment.
- Frequent stress and worries of the child. Our body is integral and a problem in one place instantly spreads to all its parts. Children endure stress much more than adults because they do not have enough life experience, and any problem in their life seems global. If there are no visible reasons for the appearance of bad breath, there are no complaints about health, but the smell is constant, we recommend checking the child’s psychological state.
- An unpleasant odor may be associated with disturbances in the functioning of internal organs. Additional symptoms include the specificity of the smell, as well as additional pain in the child.
And in conclusion, we add that one of the first symptoms of diabetes is dry mouth with an accompanying persistent unpleasant odor. In case of hereditary predisposition, be sure to inform your doctor about the possible suspicion, as well as about a similar disease in blood relatives.
Digestive problems
Often true halitosis occurs as a consequence of serious dysfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as metabolic disorders. If you can rule out causes that are related to the respiratory system, be sure to undergo a complete examination of the digestive organs.
If a child has a sour smell from his mouth, this may indicate problems with the upper intestines and stomach. This often happens in the chronic course of gastroesophageal reflux, when a certain amount of undigested food soaked in gastric juice is thrown into the esophagus. This causes an unpleasant belching with a characteristic odor.
Also, such a symptom sometimes indicates developing gastritis, duodenitis, and even the beginning of an ulcerative process. Helicobacter infection cannot be ruled out, since the duodenum and stomach are the ideal place in which its colonies develop.
A bad odor can also occur when digested food masses stagnate in the intestines due to the accumulation of helminths (worms) in it.
An unpleasant odor often occurs due to intestinal dysbiosis - a pathological condition that accompanies increased gas formation, bloating, and frequent diarrhea. In some cases, such a disorder may be almost asymptomatic, with the exception of bad breath.
If there is a pronounced smell of raw liver in a child, one can immediately suspect the presence of hepatitis or liver failure. Also, if this organ is damaged, a rotten egg (hydrogen sulfide) smell may occur.
An alarming symptom is the smell of ammonia from the mouth of children. In this case, it is imperative to check the condition of the urinary system and in particular the kidneys.
Why does my child's breath smell like acetone?
Have you noticed the smell of acetone on your baby? This is the first indicator that there is a serious malfunction in the child’s body and immediate treatment is required. There are often cases when, after going to the hospital with such a symptom, a child is immediately hospitalized. The smell of acetone from the mouth is a sign of the onset or exacerbation of such diseases:
- Diabetes
- Kidney diseases
- Liver diseases
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Acetonemic syndrome
- Infectious bowel diseases
Until you see a doctor, provide your child with a water-alkaline diet; you need to drink frequently, but in small portions; exclude fresh fruits and vegetables, fried and sweet foods.
“If only you knew from what kind of rubbish...”
I will say right away that this is not easy to believe. The fact is that the classic amber that appears after garlic is associated with sulfur compounds. Nature has decreed that almost all substances containing this element are very smelly. And the healing effect of garlic is associated precisely with such “fragrant” compounds. This means that removing them or neutralizing them is the same as depriving garlic of its beneficial properties. Do you understand? In popular parlance, the power of garlic is in its stench. Moreover, sometimes the stench is absolutely terrible. Don't believe me? You probably won't argue that one of the most disgusting aromas is the smell of rotten eggs. It is created by a substance known to chemists as “ash-two-es” (H2S), and in Russian it is usually called hydrogen sulfide. So, this nauseating abomination is simply a panacea for our blood vessels. It relaxes them and protects them from any negative effects. Today, doctors and pharmacologists are very actively studying this stinking molecule. And Italian scientists from the University of Naples even conducted experiments in which they proved that “ash-two-es” will give odds to any Viagra.
Caries and bad breath in children: connection
There is no caries without bad breath. The smell varies from “unbrushed teeth” to a rotten smell, depending on the degree of neglect and the presence of infection in the oral cavity.
Children have weaker immunity than adults and infection from the mouth quickly penetrates the intestines and other internal organs. Therefore, caries treatment is mandatory from the moment you notice an unpleasant odor, dots and holes on the teeth, a change in the color of the tooth or part of it.
The fight for fresh breath at home and on the street
What is the easiest way to get rid of garlic smell? Of course, while at home. A full range of products is at your disposal. The very first thing you should do is brush your teeth with mint paste. This does not always help, so to ensure a guaranteed result you will have to torture yourself. Take a bay leaf and chew it. It's not pleasant and even a little disgusting, but the refreshing effect is worth it.
If you want garlic but need to go visit soon, milk will help. Drink one glass of milk half an hour before meals. Now feel free to eat garlic but don’t overdo it, it’s still good to know when to stop. After consumption, yogurt, kefir or fermented baked milk will not be amiss.
If you are not at home, you will have to buy refreshing chewing gum, spray or mouthwash. To avoid spending money every time, learn to carry some of this with you everywhere.
Causes of bad breath in children: reviews
Marina (mother of a schoolgirl): when an unpleasant odor appeared in her daughter’s mouth, she immediately began to blame bad brushing of her teeth, but the dentist said that the problem was not on his side and recommended that she consult a gastroenterologist. And indeed, the problem was an infection that somehow got into the stomach. We took a course of medication, and the smell disappeared.
Alexander (young dad) : with the appearance of the tooth, an unpleasant odor appeared in the mouth. We decided that the problem was in complementary feeding. We tried everything, but as it turned out, plaque had accumulated on the tooth, and it was necessary to start brushing the tooth. It’s good that until we were one year old we went to the doctor once a month, otherwise we wouldn’t have known what else to do.
Elvira (mother of a first-grader): going to school was accompanied by tears, complaints about everything possible and requests to leave us at home, at least for one day. A month later, we had a terrible smell from our mouth, I thought we had caught an illness, so go straight to the doctor. We examined everything, everything is healthy, but there is a smell. But during the time we went to the hospital, my son did not attend school and, surprisingly, the smell disappeared. The family doctor recommended visiting a psychologist, where discomfort from the pressure from the teacher was identified. Transferred to another class and the problem went away. Listen to your kids!
Breath freshening drinks
We advise you to use drinks that help get rid of the unpleasant aroma from your mouth after eating garlic. Essential substances from allicin are fat-soluble compounds. Thus, if you drink garlic with milk, its fats will dissolve the allicin, bind it and prevent it from evaporating outside.
Other commonly available drinks that can help cover up the smell of garlic include the following:
- green tea, which contains antioxidants and phenols (they freshen breath);
- herbal infusions (mint, lemon balm);
- fruit juices with sourness (lemon, lime, grapefruit, cranberry).
Fruit acids from juices stimulate saliva production. By washing the oral cavity, it accelerates the elimination of odor naturally.
When you urgently and quickly need to eliminate the smell of garlic, prepare a fenugreek infusion. You can buy it at the pharmacy, and the product is prepared in 10-15 minutes from half a liter of water and a spoonful of plant seeds. Strain and drink 150-200 ml. You can also read about the benefits of garlic for the body.
Why do beans cause flatulence?
The gas-causing properties of legumes require no introduction. It is well known that consuming even a small portion of beans can have the most undesirable consequences. The reason is the chemical composition of beans and its metamorphosis in our intestines.
Beans contain a special type of sugar called oligosaccharides. It is a type of polysaccharide - molecules formed by long chains of saccharides or sugars. (Examples of monosaccharides are fructose, glucose and dextrose.)
The types of oligosaccharides most present in beans are raffinose and stachyose. These are very large molecules and are difficult to digest. The enzymes in our digestive system that are responsible for breaking down food cannot make it small enough to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine. So, when you eat a serving of beans, they most likely end up in your large intestine without ever forming into a fine suspension.
When they reach the large intestine, they will encounter a huge number of bacteria inhabiting it, often referred to as intestinal flora. These bacteria successfully do the work that the digestive system cannot do and destroy any oligosaccharides that enter the colon.
When bacteria do their job, they produce a variety of gases, including carbon dioxide and hydrogen. This eventually leads to the formation of hydrogen sulfide (as well as methanethiol and dimethyl sulfide): an extremely foul-smelling chemical that can be found in human intestinal gas.
Beans are not the only vegetable that causes flatulence. Onions, garlic, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are among many other vegetables that contain oligosaccharides or polysaccharides that our digestive system has problems with.
So how can this effect be reduced? One suggestion is to soak the beans before cooking. This method will not work with beans in tomato sauce, which is what you buy in cans. But with other beans, this technique will help destroy some of the oligosaccharides. However, you can only reduce them by 25%, so you won’t be able to completely prevent the problem.
Gargling with herbal decoction
For diseases of the oral mucosa, rinsing with infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs has long been used in folk medicine: along with their anti-inflammatory effect, they have a good deodorizing effect. Chamomile, sage, wild strawberry leaves, calendula, St. John's wort, and mint are especially suitable for these purposes. Usually the herb (separately or a mixture of several types) is brewed at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 1 glass of boiling water, infused, and squeezed. Half a glass of warm infusion is enough for one rinse. It is better to do this after eating and after you have first removed all food debris with a toothpick and then with a toothbrush with paste or powder.
General recommendations
Daily oral hygiene Fresh breath directly depends on how carefully and thoroughly you perform routine hygiene procedures. Alas, it has not yet become a rule for everyone to brush their teeth for several minutes in the morning and evening in all directions with an elastic brush and paste, and after each meal to rinse their mouth with warm water. Choosing a toothpaste Dentists recommend choosing toothpastes that contain fluoride, calcium (this will strengthen tooth enamel), and extracts of medicinal herbs that relieve inflammation of the oral mucosa and eliminate unpleasant odors. The benefits of rinses Mouth rinses with elixirs with deodorizing substances are especially good at refreshing your mouth during the day. After eating a sandwich or candy in a hurry, it is not always possible to rinse your mouth; in this case, chewing gum will help.
An oral irrigator is a modern hygiene product that cleans interdental pockets and spaces by spraying a powerful jet of liquid. A stream of solution cleanses the periodontal folds, washes away food debris, improves blood circulation in the gums and massages them, preventing the formation of plaque and bad breath.
Expert: Galina Filippova, general practitioner, candidate of medical sciences Author: Anastas Badis, dentist
The material uses photographs belonging to shutterstock.com
Possible complications
The taste of garlic in the mouth, which appears as a result of eating the plant or due to hormonal imbalance, does not require the use of medications and disappears on its own after 24-72 hours. Milk, lemon juice or parsley will help speed up the process of removing sulfurous substances from the body.
If the unpleasant taste is caused by the development of dental pathologies, diseases of the ENT organs or gastrointestinal tract pathologies, corrective treatment is required aimed at eliminating the disease and preventing further infection. If left untreated, the unpleasant condition will only worsen, leading to the destruction of tooth enamel, breathing or digestion problems.
The most dangerous cases are arsenic poisoning and selenium overdose, which can cause death. In this case, when a garlic taste appears, it is necessary to take emergency measures to prevent further toxic effects, as well as quickly cleanse the body.
The appearance of a garlic taste in the mouth is one of the common symptoms that often occurs during the season of respiratory infections and is associated with eating the vegetable. A garlic taste that disappears after careful oral hygiene or drinking milk can also be a symptom of hormonal dysfunction or heavy metal poisoning, as well as diagnose gastrointestinal problems that require medication and a special diet.
"Ash-two-es" or "en-o"
It is interesting that Viagra and similar drugs also act through gas, but only a different one, not so smelly. It is called "en-o" (NO) or nitric oxide. In its properties on the body, this substance is very similar to hydrogen sulfide. Only the latter, apparently, will be stronger, more effective and more beneficial for blood vessels than nitric oxide. Interestingly, when doctors discovered the role of this gas in the 1980s, they became giddy with success. Nitric oxide has proven to be a signaling molecule that regulates a host of processes in the body and usually has a very beneficial effect. A few years later, the discoverer of the role of “en-o” was awarded the Nobel Prize. Due to a misunderstanding or the intention of pharmacists, the essence of this award is often distorted today: they claim that it was awarded for the creation of Viagra. This is wrong. The medicine was indeed created based on the discovery of nitric oxide, but the Nobel Prize was not awarded for it. So, today this story seems to be repeating itself, but with another signal molecule - hydrogen sulfide. True, the Nobel Prize has not yet come, but drugs that increase the content of “ash-two-es” in the body are already being developed.
And one of them even already exists, and no one came up with it except Mother Nature. This is garlic. There is no hydrogen sulfide itself, but this “stink” is formed from garlic sulfur compounds in our body. And the medicinal effects of garlic are largely related to it. But not only. Doctors also consider certain garlic compounds with sulfur to be extremely beneficial.
