Babies Breath

There are infant tooth brushes and toothpastes that are safe to swallow. They don't freshen breath the way a minty toothpaste would, but they remove debris on the teeth and gums, as well as begin to promote good dental hygeine.

I started brushing my son's gums at 4 months...he didn't even have a tooth until he was 7 months. He loves brushing his teeth! In the morning I let him do it himself (he really just chews on the toothbrush), but at night I actualy brush his teeth and gums, then let him chew on the toothbrush while I read his bedtime story.

My daughter had the same problem after an illness. We now brush her teeth, gums and TOUNGE with tooth paste. They have toddler versions. We dilute it with water, but it helps a lot.

Maybe check with the pediatrician? All that sickness, it could be a side effect of meds or another issue-yeast infections can do that. Brush his teeth- they make special toothpaste for that- if he has teeth it's time.

I don't know about the halitosis, but you might try the baby toothpaste. It is ok for them to swallow and his breath may smell like the flavor of it, just like ours does after brushing. I think when that start getting more teeth they are subject to the same things that cause us to have bad breath. Pieces of food stuck in our mouth, etc. He may need something more that the clear water. Plus a baby toothbrush may be nice to chew on, with those teeth coming in. I hope this helps.

I can always tell when my son is getting sick by the way his breath smells. It almost always smells sweet (you could bottle it & sell it!) but when he starts to get sick, and for about a week after he has been sick, it smells really bad. Nothing helps, not even brushing more often.
He is 23 months old, so we use a baby toothbrush w/ baby toothpaste. I would definitely switch to a toothbrush - you will have a battle later on if you wait to introduce it!

I also think it is probably being sick that's done it. But he has teeth, so I'd start brushing them with the softest baby toothbrush and baby toothpaste, but don't forget to brush the tongue. That is where most bad breath comes from. Also, the sooner you start brushing, the less he will fight it later.

My daughter actually has consistently bad breath and I recently asked her dentist about this. The dentist asked me if she had been sick, has allergies or is consistently stopped up. My daughter has allergies and snores and is stopped up a lot. I have figured out that this is the problem with her. My guess is that your baby's illnesses are causing drainage that is causing the bad breath. From what I understand, stomach viruses and stomach upset can also cause bad breath. If his bad breath doesn't go away in the next couple of weeks maybe you should talk to your doctor about whether your baby has more stomach upset than normal (like acid reflux). My daughter is a little older and it looks like her bad breath is related to her tonsils. Hope this helps!

Has the Pediatrician smelled it? Strepth (?sp?) can cause awful breath smells and no other symptoms - or simple cold symptoms. Any way, ask the Dr. for advice.

I think their breath gets really bad when they are really sick. All 3 of my kids were VERY sick over Christmas this year and their breath was horrible, no matter how much we brushed their teeth. I think you might be okay to use some infant toothpaste on his teeth if you want, but if he has been sick, that is my guess. Good luck!

I know that sinus problems can cause bad breath. You may have to see the doctor about that one....maybe there's a lingering infection way up in there. As for other reasons, brush those teeth at least twice a day and get that baby used to BRUSHING HIS TONGUE!! Especially way back where the bigger tastebuds are. Get him used to it as an absolute requirement NOW as he's still young. Good luck!

That was hilarious!! I can definitely relate. My daughter's breath is much smellier since she's started table foods. My hubby brought it to my attention that when she is sick, it smells slightly different, too. Have you considered using Giggles N' Grins non-fluoride, flavored gel and gum brush? Or if he has a couple of teeth even using an extra soft-headed toothbrush with some non-fluoride toothpaste? It won't hurt to try it or help them learn that brushing their is teeth is part of their routine before bedtime.

Good luck!!

Hi K.,
Is your child eating food or still just on milk? I noticed that my child's breath started to smell once he started on food. So I bought some baby tooth & gum cleanser. At first I used the fingertip brush with soft bristles. Now that he is 15 months and eating more and more regular food, I have started using the Orajel training toothpaste and a abby toothbrush. It's clear and gentle enough for babies that still swallow. You may want to try that just to get a little more cleaning than clear water allows.

I am not an alarmist and I am sure with all his sickness recently, you have visited the pediatrician. I notice a that when my children have bad breath, which is not their norm, there is something else contributing to this. Strept namely? Perhaps your son has an infection causing this. Teeth popping through the gums may also be a contributing factor.

It could be teething. My daughter's breath is always horrible when she is cutting teeth, and then as soon as the teeth come through her breath is fine again.

My son has the worst breath when he's teething... he's 2 now and getting some molars & the bad breath is back. You can try baby toothpaste, but I think once he's well & the teething subsides, it will go back to normal. If it doesn't, then ask the Dr.

Hello,
There is a training toothpaste out for little ones under 2 that you can be using on your little guy with a finger toothbruch. I have used these with all of mine and if I remember correctly wal-mart has them in the baby section as well as in the toothbrush and paste section.

My son had what I would call an overly sweet, strange breath, the doctor tested him for several genetic disorders, finds out that was it. I would speak with your doctor, it very well could be something serious (it could not be too). If you determine there is no real reason, you can try the fluoride-free tooth paste for kids/babies and use a baby toothbrush to clean his teeth/gums and tongue. Good luck.