Bad breath or halitosis in children? Discover its causes and tips to eliminate it
Halitosis is the term used to discover bad breath in a person, in children this is a condition that is present due to poor oral health, it can appear temporarily or permanently, no matter the age and even in infants.
There is a kind of physiological halitosis that is considered normal, and it is the one present when we wake up every morning after sleeping, and this is transitory, it goes away after brushing our teeth.
On other occasions that halitosis lasts much longer and is not considered normal, the first thing we have to do to get rid of this bad breath is to evaluate with a dentist the oral health of our children.
If it becomes inefficient or inadequate, then we must proceed to improve oral hygiene habits, with the help of supervised brushing after every meal.
In addition, it will also be necessary to use dental floss, mouthwash for children, clean the tongue with a soft brushing and put aside sweets.
To avoid halitosis or bad breath, we recommend attending regular check-ups with your dentist, ProDent is your best option in this case of bad breath in the little ones of the house.
With our help you will be able to detect and solve the causes of halitosis, whether it is caused by a disease or some kind of disorder of the dentition or the gums themselves.
What should be done if halitosis persists?
In case the halitosis and with it the bad breath persist, it is of utmost importance that the child is taken and therefore evaluated by the pediatrician.
This is due to the fact that in young children it can be caused by respiratory diseases, in most cases, or in some other cases by digestive diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux.
In such cases, the treatment of halitosis is that of the disease that is causing it; hence the importance of the pediatrician in charge taking the case.
Speaking of respiratory diseases, infections are known to be a very frequent cause of transient halitosis.
Those children who have not suffered from such a condition, coinciding with the appearance of other signs of infection, how it would be:
Fever
Increased nasal mucus
Sore throat
Pain on swallowing
Cough, among other symptoms...
Bad breath and severe discomfort in the mouth, ranging from acute itching to intense burning, may be present, causing severe discomfort to the suffering patient.
Which chronic respiratory diseases cause persistent bad breath?
There are some respiratory diseases that can undoubtedly cause persistent bad breath, and of which we must take care, here is a list of some of these:
Hypertrophy: Excessive growth of the tonsils or adenoids.
Chronic sinusitis: Existence of foreign bodies, which are lodged in the nostrils that have gone unnoticed, among other diseases...
How to have good oral hygiene to eliminate halitosis or bad breath in children?
Regardless of the cause that has originated halitosis in children, one of the best remedies that ProDent recommends to put an end to this problem is to carry out good oral hygiene.
As an adult you should know that this should always be done, for this, we recommend children, if necessary with the help of a responsible adult, to do the following:
Brush your teeth after every meal, with the help of suitable toothbrushes.
We must not forget to brush the gums and tongue very well, generally we only brush the teeth and this is a serious mistake.
Make use of a mouthwash suitable for children for better cleaning, it would be best to go to a dentist and ask for the right mouthwash.
What should children eat to fight bad breath or halitosis?
On many occasions, bad breath or halitosis is caused by stomach problems, or by some kind of food that we eat daily, and we do not know that they affect us.
The question in this case would be: What should we feed the child to avoid bad breath? The answer is very easy, a diet based on green leafy vegetables, due to their high content of chlorophyll.
In addition to this, you can also give apples to the little ones of the house, as they are a kind of food that favors the hygiene of the mouth in a natural way.
It is also very important to drink plenty of water after brushing our teeth after each meal of the day.
When to see a doctor to treat halitosis or bad breath?
The first thing to keep in mind is that if halitosis is not treated it will not go away on its own, the important thing is to go to the doctor and have him explain the steps to follow.
The key to this situation is to face this situation without showing your child how much you are worried, because this can directly affect their self-esteem.
It should be noted that halitosis in many cases is a warning that something in our body is not going well; eliminating bad breath will be a momentary situation and a symptom that is part of a more complex problem.
What foods should children not eat to avoid halitosis?
Here is a short list of foods that your children should not eat if you want to avoid or, in the worst case, reduce halitosis or bad breath:
Processed or hyper-processed foods
Products high in refined sugars
Foods high in fat
A diet in which too much protein is ingested
All these tips are very good to follow to avoid or improve halitosis or bad breath in young children, but at ProDent we advise you to see a pediatrician to determine the cause of halitosis.
Remember that for each condition that causes halitosis, it will be necessary that our trusted dentist or pediatrician will give you the necessary guidelines to treat the infection and put an end to the bad breath in the mouth of the little ones.
Whatever your condition is, you can come to ProDent and get the help you need to overcome any oral problem!