Children and babies seldom have bad breath. But you still should practice proper oral hygiene with them. You should begin practicing oral hygiene with your newborn just a few days after birth, and of course continue until they are old enough to do it properly themselves. Although it is a rare occurrence, even with proper oral care your baby may still develop bad breath. Read on to find out why.
Bad Breath in Babies
Babies are cute and cuddly, but if your baby has bad breath you may not want to cuddle so closely. There are several reasons your baby may develop bad breath:
Milk:A hungry baby may end up drinking too much milk. If this happens their stomach will regurgitate it back up into their esophagus, resulting in bad breath.
Sugar: Sugar encourages the growth of putrefying bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria feasts on the sugars leftover on your babies gums and tongue and produces foul smelling gases that we call bad breath. This can be prevented with a low-sugar diet.
Dry Mouth: Just like adults, when babies have a cold or allergies with a stuffy nose they breathe through their mouths. Mouth breathing can result in bad breath because their oral tissues become dry, and a dry mouth is a breeding ground for putrefying bacteria.
Toys: Yes, toys. When babies mouth their toys, they transfer their saliva which contains putrefying bacteria, causing the toys to develop a bad smell. Once the toys develop a smell, that odor is transferred back to the baby’s mouth when they suck on it again.
Other: There are other more serious causes of bad breath in babies including:
- Tooth decay
- Infection
- Gastro-esophageal reflux
- A foreign object stuck in their nasal passage
To help prevent bad breath, wipe your baby’s teeth, gums, andtongue with a clean, damp, soft cloth after each feeding.
About Dr. Jeffrey Allen
Dr. Jeffrey Allen provides comfortable dental care to patients of all ages. Call (641) 628-1121 today to schedule a checkup and cleaning, cosmetic consultation, or second-opinion visit. We are located on the west side of the historic town square in Pella, IA. Please see the map for directions.