Chronic Halitosis in children

Forums: Health, Childcare, Chronic Halitosis, Bad Breath
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I may be jumping the gun here with labeling it chronic halitosis, though it just means constant bad breath.. and that is what is going on.

I dont now what is possibly causing this for Jillian but it is pretty bad. We are diligent about oral hygiene, and floss and brush regularly. Though this DID seem to become more of an issue about the time she started to lose her teeth .. Hmm.. a note for myself there..
Anyway.
I will be taking her to see a dentist next month, but I am curious as to what else could be causing this and is there anything that can effect your breath for a long time ...in a positive way I mean..
Im thinking of stocking her with some gum so that she can chew on it most of the day. that might help..
Breath mints are just bursts of sugar so that is a no go..

Going through all of the common sense reasons why someones breath would be bad.. most do not apply to her so I am really at a loss as to what could be causing this.
She is not a heavy meat eater. She hates eggs unless they are part of a dish , not a big sugar eater, she does eat a lot of green stuff but that should not effect the breath.. that creates gas, good oral hygiene, no major allergies that would cause a build up of mucous in the throat...

I dont know.

Im just at a loss.

And this isn't the ' you just need to brush your teeth' kind of breath smell.. this is something a bit.. different. I would almost think to take her to a doctor before a dentist. In fact, I will do that.

but.. ideas?
Anyone else have this ? Child or not?

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@shewolfnm,

Could be some sort of an infection -- tonsillitis, that kind of thing. Agree that it's a good idea to take her to the doctor.

When was the last time she's been to the dentist? Could be cavities too (sometimes too hard to see with the naked eye, in between teeth or something).

Is she congested at all?

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@sozobe,

Sinus infection is a big culprit many times. One of the twins had a sinus infection for months. Come to find out he had shoved a small piece of foam rubber up his nose and had sniffed it into his sinuses....I had taken him repeatedly to the dr. for the nasty breath and the infection.

The doc had just said we were going to have to do a x-ray to see what was going on. A couple of days before our visit he looked up at me and I could see this bright green thing in there. It was the end to a fish from a puzzle - foam - he had bitten off and shoved up his nose. It is what caused the consistent stank breath and infection.

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I can only refer to my pets. When kittens and puppies start loosing their teeth, their breath is pretty stinky. My cat was diabetic, so I know that diabetics who are not regulated have stinky breath (like rotten grapes) - it was a sign to be on the watch for.

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@sozobe,

she isnt congested. Ever. In fact, when she does get an infection it is a big deal.
But, as I noted earlier it did start just about the time her teeth began to become wiggly.. so it is entirely possible that her gums and throat are maybe a bit swelled up, possibly carrying a simple infection of sorts while this is going on.

She has not been to a dentist for a year. No cavities then and they said since it was almost time for her to lose her teeth, to just come back for a check up once it started and about half way through so they could see how they were coming in. No red flags then at all. But I will get her to the dentist next month. Doctor first though. It could be an infection in her belly..? maybe..

Im making a check list in my head of everything with her body.. I dont notice anything out of the ordinary though that might make me think there is something going on. But, I dont know! For all I know she could be allergic to a food that she is eating on a regular basis.
I dont think there is a pattern to breath smell + common food..
or drink
or time of day
or...or..or... anything for that matter. But these are things I am only thinking of right this minute. So new tabs to keep..

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@mismi,

mismi wrote:

Sinus infection is a big culprit many times. One of the twins had a sinus infection for months. Come to find out he had shoved a small piece of foam rubber up his nose and had sniffed it into his sinuses....I had taken him repeatedly to the dr. for the nasty breath and the infection.

That made me laugh.
Completely a kiddo story!

I dont know how to explain this smell.. It is not rot, it is not a smell of infection either.
I remember working in the nursing homes, the smells of breath that were infected, infected teeth, mouth, gums, and people who had horrible bowel issues . They all had very.. distinct smells. The smell was the same with different people too. Teeth smell a certain way. Bowel issues smell a certain way etc.

None of those smells apply.

What her breath smells like.. is.. old must.
That is the best I can describe it.
Even seconds after brushing. You can smell the toothpaste.. and the musty smell. Even when she is eating , when you would expect to smell only food because it is in your belly, in your mouth in your throat... Nope. Not her. You smell everything that is going on, AND the breath smell on top of it.

odd.

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It's tough to even guess, without any further symptoms. I'll hazard a possible sinus infection, which can be symptom-less and go on for months.

Let us know what Dr. says, OK?

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I have a humidifier that I will use for a few days in her room at night and see if that makes a difference.
It very well could be a low grade sinus / throat infection.

A humidifier would help that ... and maybe enough to where I would notice the difference..

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@shewolfnm,

Good idea, humidifier/vaporizer! I wonder if you can use a "Neti Pot" on children? Hubby has this same low-grade sinus infection, and this has helped him quite a bit when Dr's were no help at all.

Oh, possibly a simple saline nasal spray instead. I dunno, just guessing here, and sending love to you both!

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hahahahahahaha. Getting a kid to sit still enough to pour water in their nose?
hahahahhahahha

not this kiddo. Wink

But I did think of that too..

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@mismi,

So, did you get the piece out of his nose or did the doctor have to snake it out?
(It is kinda funny. Not laugh-out-loud funny but shake-your-head funny. Kids.

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Kids don't drink enough water, too.
There are some mouth moisturizers on the market - liquid that you squirt in the mouth, toothpaste and gum. Biotene is one brand.

My granddaughter had bad breath for a while and it ended up being a chronic sinus/throat infection. She also does not brush her tongue, either.

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@shewolfnm,

oh brother, that's just because her mom is such a scardy cat about neti pots.

I'm leaning toward a cavity too.

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I haven't read through the suggestions but here's what I thought based on the thread title...

1) ketosis - too much protein, not enough carbs
2) diabetes - is it "sweet" smelling? If yes, then get her sugar checked.
3) dental decay - how are her tooth brushing skills?

Given her age I'd guess that 3) comes before 1) and 2) would be last.

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@eoe,

I managed to get it out...once it was seeable - I just had to push it down and pop it out...it was nasty. But it was funny - once we figured it out. Thankfully he was a little trooper and even when he was a little grumpy from the infection he didn't seem to feel too poorly. But man - some stanky breath. I knew something had to be wrong...2 year olds don't get funky breath like that.

Yeah eoe, stuff like that happens all the time...had to go to the dr. with a little watch battery in the ear one time. It seems if there is a hole and something will fit in it - they will try to get it in there...an endless list of possibilities.

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Not enough water. That very well COULD be an issue.
I will give her more than she usually gets and see if that helps.
We are not juice drinkers, we dont drink soda, crystal light, gatorade or any of that other junk. So when she drinks she gets water 90% of the time.
If she DOES get juice, it is really watered down. We are just not big product drinkers. At all. But that does not mean she is getting enough.

She gets enough carbs.. Im pretty sure.
Wild rice, couscous, museli, oatmeal, I make the majority of our breads and she will eat that to no end, loves sweet potatoes, raw veggies too...

I do wonder if she gets enough protein though.. . She loves beans but does not eat a lot of them. Hates meat in general unless cooked to be very soft ( texture eater) so I dont think the protein carb ratio could be the cause.. unless it is in reverse. Cheese , she loves that...
Eh. I dunno.

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@chai2,

Yeah, we did saline with sozlet starting at maybe five? I forget. We use a bulb syringe rather than a neti pot, worked well. She didn't like it much at first but got used to it and then became a convert when she realized how much it helped.

Hope the doc and/ or dentist provide some answers soon, shewolf! How long has this been a problem?

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@sozobe,

It has been going on about 3-4 months now.

I have watched those videos of the kids with the pots..
Jillian might actually LIKE that..
Its strange...
she can actually PUT something in her nose
feels weird
looks funny..

yeah. She might be up for that. Laughing

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@shewolfnm,

no sponges...

1 Reply

@Rockhead,

You are more than welcome to shove your finger up there and check Smile

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Chronic Halitosis in children

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