4yr old terrible bad breath - pls pls advise

[eggybrokenoff]

my ds has absolutely eye watering bad breath in the mornings and i have no idea whether it is a health problem indicator or just an unfortunate thing. i cant understand it - he eats what we and ds2 eat, we brush teeth really well etc. he does have enormous and i mean huge tonsils and has been prone to tonsillitus but hasnt had a bout for a while now. i worry about him being embarrased by it in the future

Could you take him to the dentist for some advice? Maybe try an electric brush?

Did he ever have reflux? Apparently it can go into toddlerhood and causes stinky breath when there is no other good reason for it.

Sometimes though, an infection (either brewing or past) can give prolonged smelly 'infection' breath, so with his history on tonsils I would not be surprised.

Does he drink enough fluids?

Tonsils and adenoids cause stinky breath -my dd used to be able to turn milk sour until she had them removed

Go to gp and ask for ent referral

First thing I thought at reading your title is huge tonsils!

Tonsils are designed to catch the crap so chances are they do that overnight and then it smells. Also if he has large tonsils he may have post nasal drip (tonsils and adenoids are related) and that causes smelly breath too.

Does he have a chipped tooth that has maybe gone slightly dark?

Google tonsil stones. My child had to get her tonsils out because of them. It might take a while for them to build up big enough for you to see with a torch.

he hasn't stuck something up his nose has he possibly a little while ago
this can cause bad breath

Bad breath in children is commonly due to poor drainage from nose and sinuses. Primarily due to constantly enlarged adenoids and tonsils (these are their frontline lymph nodes fighting off all the infections they come into contact with). As the face grows the sinuses enlarge and drainage improves.
Mild allergies (hayfever) make it worse and also colds when the mucous membrane swells up. They also tend to mouth breath to make matters worse.
The tongue is also a great place for bacteria to live so try cleaning Dss tongue.

Tonsils! My ds had chronic tonsillitis and bad breath - breath smelled even when no infection. Tonsillectomy was advised and he's never ponged since.

tonsil stones?
something stuck up his nose?

dd had this problem until she gave up sucking her fingers, then it stopped.

I'd say tonsil stones if his tonsils are large.
They smell absolutely evil!
Ds has had tonsillitis several times & last time he coughed up a 'rock' as he called it - saved it for doc & it was a tonsil stone. I've never smelt such rotten breath

They're horrible, aren't they? When dd had one that was huge and ready to fall out, you could smell it as soon as you walked into the room. Even if she was at the other end of it.

After her tonsillectomy, the doctor showed me a little bowl of all the ones that had come out with the tissue. I was horrified!

So relieved she doesn't have to deal with them again. They are the thing of nightmares.

OP - definitely get in there with a torch and have a good look. They might be hiding under a flap of skin, so check again in a week or two when they've grown and may be more visible.

They gave my daughter constant throat and ear infections and halitosis. Poor girl.

My son who's nearly 18 now was the exact same took him to dentist his teeth were fine he brushed regularly eventually took him to doctor who laughed and said he's just an unlucky one!!