Bad breath in kids is a concerning issue for parents today. This problem mainly occurs due to the lack of hygiene; however, medical issues are a significant reason as well. The conflict occurs mostly when the parents fail to understand why the situation arises.
Bad Breath in Kids: Causes and Cures
Have you ever experienced a situation when you are in public, and you say something to your companion getting close to him, but you find his face looks like there is something is wrong? Maybe it can be your smelly breath. The food you had recently may be the reason?
This awful issue can also lead you to social awkwardness. A child is indeed helpless in this situation. Let’s figure out the causes and remedies of bad breath in kids and evaluate what it is.
What is Bad Breath in Kids?
Bad breath in kids is commonly a medical condition, known as halitosis. It builds up due to various reasons, and among them, is when people don’t brush their teeth correctly.
Halitosis is a sign of various other underlying diseases, including GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) digestive problems and even kidney failure too. Please don’t take it as a cakewalk, as encountering this problem is necessary to keep both mental and physical health fit and fine.
Especially in case of bad breath in kids, parents should strictly look into the problem, as it may lead to severe illness, specified earlier. For mental health, it is essential to combat the situation to keep the emotional health pleasant, or else it may also drive you to complexes like various anxieties, and chronic depression.
This bad breath or halitosis is due to the bacteria in the mouth, releasing a nasty odour. It signifies that this problem is uplifted via the tropical atmosphere causing bacteria.
Behind this, there are numerous causes, such as having improper food habits, poor oral hygiene, and so on. Bearing awful breath smell is not frequent, it happens often, and taking proper care of your teeth is enough to get rid of this. In case it becomes routine, you should consult a doctor.
Causes of bad breath in Kids
Take necessary precautions as per need, by knowing the roots through which bad breath grows.
1. Dry Mouth and Mouth Breathing
Our saliva, inside our mouth, bears great importance, as it assists in washing away the harmful bacteria, by keeping the bad breath away. Dry mouth occurs if someone is sleeping with an open mouth.
Suppose the baby breaths via their mouth while sleeping. In that case, the dry mouth appears, allowing the maturation of harmful bacteria, and it ultimately results in the discharge of gases from the mouth. To combat this problem, make your child drink at least four glasses of water each day.
2. Improper Dental Hygiene
One of the significant reasons behind bad breath in kids is poor oral hygiene. It significantly happens in kids, when they are infrequent in cleaning their teeth and tongue properly. You should certify that your kid is brushing and flossing his teeth in the right way, so that the food particles in his tongue, and in between teeth can’t bind with the natural bacteria, resulting in bad breath.
3. Diseases and Infections
Bad breath in children is not surprising if he or she suffers from any disease or infection. Sinus infection is a major one, to be mentioned here, as well as tonsillitis and gum disease can also cause this issue. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is too a source of bad breath in kids, as here the acids in the stomach foams the oesophagus, leading to smelly breath.
4. Having smelly foods
Consuming acidic foods may also lead to bad breath. It mainly includes garlic or onions, as this food is universally known as one of the sources to bad breath. Your kid may like garlic or onions, so keep an eye on their diet. By keeping this kind of spicy foods away, you can maintain their fresh breath.
Always remember the causes mentioned above of bad breath in kids, and maintain the precautions as far as possible. Check the remedies for this issue in the below section.
Natural Remedies for Bad Breath in Kids
1. Healthy & Balanced Diet
Probably the best remedy to terminate lousy breath in children is to have a healthy and balanced diet. Research has discovered that processed food and refined sugar mainly cause bad breath due to its spiciness and sourness.
To protect your child from this dilemma, throw out this food, along with chocolates, candies, and drinks as well. Make your kid, lower the consumption of this food, and encourage him to consume fruits and vegetable more. Boiled food along with rice and nuts can also be applied for getting cured.
2. Usage of Cloves
Having cloves, is an excellent option, as it assists in keeping your mouth and breath entirely fresh. It too helps in combating with the harmful bacteria in your mouth, responsible for the formation of cavities. Make your kid suck a few each day, but be careful and don’t take the clove oil or powder, as they taste too strong for your kid, and it can also cause burns.
3. Parsley
Improper digestion is a common problem for many of us in today’s world. It may lead to several issues, and among them, bad breath is a significant one. Bearing various antiseptic qualities in it, chewing parsley leaves is an effective measure to ease digestion, and prevent bad breath.
Apart from these, it also acts as a natural mouth freshener, possessing a natural scent with good chlorophyll volume. To reap the best results, make your kid chew a few of these leaves, after every meal.
4. Maintaining proper oral health and hygiene
Improper dental hygiene is a major cause for bad breath in kids, as specified earlier. Your kid should maintain good oral health, so make them brush their teeth not quickly, but in the right way, at least for two minutes. It is highly recommendable to brush with fluoride toothpaste, twice a day.
However, many people exist with the point of view that to prevent tooth decay; brushing is mandatory after each meal. To prohibit the growth of bacteria for foods stuck between teeth, brushing at least once per day is needed.
5. Drinking adequate amount of water
As per various studies, mouth dryness belongs among the problems that lead to smelly breath. Earlier, it was specified that our saliva plays a significant part to keep our mouth clean. For this, you must drink an adequate amount of water for saliva production, and keep the body hydrated.
Dry mouth generally occurs while sleeping, when you breathe with your mouth opened. It signifies the reason why bad breath is common after walking up from rest. So to defend this problem, make your child drink at least four to five glasses of water each day.
6. Citrus Fruits
Citrus foods are beneficial in killing the harmful bacteria in the mouth. Being rich in vitamin C, it helps the saliva to develop, eventually resulting in stamping out the bad breath. Orange, rich in vitamin C, is a perfect example among these fruits, which you can apply to get rid of bad breath.
7. Green Tea
Green tea is the one; you can apply to get rid of bad breath with ease. It efficiently assists in wiping out the bad breath and keep a fresh one. It is excellent at deodorising, and it’s disinfectant characteristics hold the refreshing breath for the time being. It would be best if you carry this with you, and sip it slowly all day.
Also, don’t forget to brew it the night before and refrigerate it, to derive the best results. Mint is also an excellent option to choose for this issue, which comprises of the same properties. So undoubtedly, a green mint tea will be a superb option to choose for your child, if he suffers from the problem of bad breath.
8. Fennel or Anise seeds –
To have these fennel and anise seeds are one of the effective ways to defend lousy breath. People of this nation have used these seeds since ancient times and have experienced good benefits too. You can have your child eat this, coated with sugar, or direct, or even roasted.
It is used in different regions as a mouth freshener mainly in a roasted state, administering the breath of a fresh scent. In its mixture, remains various aromatic essential oils, and it is sweet to taste overall.
Bad Breath in Kids
Bad breath is a common phenomenon, and everyone faces it, including your child once in a while. You can easily find a solution to this problem by seeing the natural remedies for bad breath for kids, mentioned above. Just brush their teeth properly, and then implement the other steps, if necessary. But in case, your child is unable to recover the issue, irrespective of home and natural treatment, don’t keep it till the eleventh hour, and consult a dentist or doctor soon.
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