What Are the Causes and Cures for Bad Breath in Babies?
Infants and babies have lousy breath issues due to certain factors, from health to food digestion problems. But, with proper oral hygiene, you can take care of the baby’s bad breath. After a few days of birth, you can begin the practical oral hygiene to keep your baby healthy and fresh.
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Although it is rare, poor oral hygiene makes baby breath stink. So, taking care of all these factors that can cause lousy baby breath is necessary to diagnose and treat it as soon as possible.
If you are also a new mother, this blog is for you. This blog will share how to treat a baby’s bad breath from six months to two years.
Read: 10 Effective Remedies To Cure Gum Disease Without A Dentist
Why Does My Baby’s Breath Smell?
Bad breath in babies is a common issue that can be easily treated with the correct diagnosis. New mothers struggle to evaluate the root cause, but treating the problem is more manageable once diagnosed.
Infants and babies are cute and cuddly, but no one wants to go close to them if your baby stinks. Several reasons can develop bad baby breath. A few of them are discussed here:
1: Milk
Milk is the most common thing that babies consume. There can be circumstances when your baby consumes too much milk, and their stomach regurgitates it back into the mouth.
Keeping the baby in the correct position is necessary to help them digest the milk and avoid breathing smells.
2: Sugar
Kids of younger age are fond of eating sugar candies, which can be a potential cause of lousy baby breath. Sugar consumption increases the bacterial growth in the mouth that feasts on sugar.
Sugar leftovers cause foul-smelling gases that add to bad breath. So, dentists and nutritionists also suggest giving low-sugar diets to kids.
3: Toys
Babies have a habit of mouthing their toys, which can encourage the putrefying bacteria mouth, leading to lousy baby breath.
The saliva is transferred to the toys that develop a small odor and is transferred back to the baby’s mouth when they suck it again.
At such a stage, parents need to be careful and attentive to prevent kids from taking toys to their mouths. It is a common oral hygiene practice that must be taken care of.
4: Dry Mouth
In some cases, kids fail to have nose breathing, such as when having colds or allergies. Mouth breathing causes oral tissues to dry, a breeding ground for putrefying bacteria.
Apart from milk, dry mouth, and sugar, there can be more possibilities that your baby has bad breath due to the following:
- Tooth decay
- Allergies
- Infection
- Gastroesophageal reflux
Read: How To Protect Your Teeth From Sugar Bugs?
How to Fix a Baby’s Bad Breath?
In most cases, a quick hack to fix bad baby breath is wiping or brushing your baby’s teeth and gums. Sometimes, lousy breathing can be due to food consumption and leftovers in the mouth.
Moreover, here are some fixes for your kids:
- Keep your kids’ clothes, hands, toys, and pacifiers clean.
- Sanitize your kid’s feeder, pacifier, and mouth toys once a week.
- Make sure your baby has a low-sugar diet.
- Wipe or brush baby’s teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush specialty after feeding.
- Visit a pediatric dentist from the beginning to diagnose any oral issue causing bad baby breath.
Why Do My 12 Olds Have Bad Breath?
Baby bad breath one 1-year-old can be due to several reasons, from poor oral hygiene to their brushing habits.
Not brushing your toddler’s teeth twice a day can cause bad breath. Moreover, the other factor can be a poor diet or a diet enriched with high sugar content.
Apart from diet and oral hygiene, there can be other causes of bad breath, such as:
- Seasonal allergies
- Digestion issues
- Not enough brushing or flossing
- Tonsillitis
- Sinus infections
If you still fail to find the root cause of bad breath in babies 12 months old, you must visit a pediatric dentist for assistance.
A pediatric dentist can help you fix lousy breathing in your kid with their evaluation and diagnosis experience.
Read: Crown Vs Root Canal: Understand The Difference!
What to Use for Baby Bad Breath?
Baby, lousy breath happens, but the thing is to tackle it immediately. There is plenty that you can do to make the smells go away.
In many cases, it involves a proper face and oral care regime. Follow the following steps if you feel any unpleasant odor from your kid:
- Ensure your kid’s face is wiped after feeding and brushed with a soft-bristled toothbrush after a meal.
- Wash baby’s hands frequently.
- Give sanitized toys and pacifiers to your kids.
- Bath them daily in the summer.
If you still feel the problem is the same, we recommend you take your kid to the doctor. A healthcare professional can better help you with their skills and experience.
Read: What To Expect During A Baby Root Canal: Tips For Anxious Parents
FAQs
Is it normal for babies to have smelly breath?
It is a rare condition as mostly healthy infants and babies feel and smell good. Bad breath and no teeth can be caused by the indigestion of milk or some other cause, but bad breath is not common in infants or kids.
How do I get rid of my baby’s smelly mouth?
To get rid of the baby’s smelly mouth:
- Make sure you brush their teeth after feeding.
- Use a soft brush.
- For toddlers and babies under 12 months, use a finger brush after each feeding session.
Does baby breath stink when teething?
Yes, it is a common scenario in kids when teething. Due to the increased inflammation, bacterial growth may also rise, which can cause a foul smell in kids’ mouths.
Is it normal for a two-year-old to have bad breath?
No, it is a rare condition that can be due to any cause, such as poor oral hygiene, cavities, indigestion, or others—kids of younger age who feed on high-sugar content are prone to have bad breath.
