Bad breath in teen

[Wallywobbles]

DD is now 15 and has had awful breath for the last decade more or less. It is now proving to be more of an issue because of boy interest. Her best friend laughs about it fortunately, but it really is awful. We have tried various things over the years but have been really attacking the subject for the last 6 weeks.

So far she has had an ORL appointment to check for post-nasal drip and tonsil stones. Nothing. She has been to the dentist - and he is going to do a plaque removal.

She has finished a course of omeprazole which is meant to help with any reflux - it's not made any difference to anything. She cleans her teeth 3x a day. Uses mouthwash and Oral-B chewing gum.

She eats too much sugar, but generally a fairly healthy diet. She has very slow digestion, and has suffered from constipation. She is weird in that she doesn't fart - not sure if the digestion element could be playing a part.

The one thing that I feel works is those little probiotic danone drinks - 2x day did seem to help, but only temporarily.

Does anyone have anything to offer in terms of something we could try? Or does she just have to live with bad breath for ever?

diets that are high in sugar and protein can also result in bad breath. A diet high in sugar can lead to bad breath and could be the culprit for halitosis due to how sugars interact with the existing bacteria in your mouth. The bacteria that naturally exist in your mouth feed on sugars turning sweet treats in to sour smells

Does she drink enough water? I find a lack of water contributes to bad breath and it wouldn't be helping with constipation either.

Does she clean her teeth twice a day, brush her tongue and floss? I know my daughter gets bad breath if she doesn't drink enough water.

I suspect she doesn't drink a great deal - a lot to do with not wanting to use the school loos. Flossing not so much - although she does try - I think once the dentist does his plaque removing thing on Monday she should be able to floss with more ease. Her (v beautiful looking) teeth are very tight fitting and prone to needing fillings.

She eats a fair amount of veg but loves white food and eggs.

Bless her. Sounds awful.

She could try the little fluffy flossers as you can choose tiny ones for tiny gaps. Since I've started doing this and using a mouthwash each day my breath has definitely improved.

And really encourage the water. I'm sure using the school loos is less bothersome than living with bad breath day in day out.

I hope she gets some success with it. Poor thing.

My DS as a small child had really bad breath. The dentist suggested that he might be lactose intolerant - this was the cause in the end, and he consumes no milk products at all. If he has just the smallest amount of cheese it’s disgusting again.

Drinking more water and tongue scrapers might help

Thank you all. I think she can try to drink more and she will just have to brave the loos. And if she stops dairy that'll also cut her sugar massively.

Hi I don’t have much to suggest that hasn’t been already but I also have the flossing issue.

My top teeth are find but my bottom teeth are so compact that I can’t floss or use the interdental brushes. I have a water pick instead. Dentist suggested it and it works great. Just a quick blast between the teeth from the gum line up if that makes sense. You can fill them with water or mouthwash. Might be worth considering and they’re not expensive to buy

She does have a waterpik - I bought her a portable one for Christmas - but I think it gets little use. She's always found ours to be too aggressive, and the one I got her is much less so, but I'm fairly certain it's never used.

I think this thread has been useful for me to see that there are still things she could do more consistently. But she's 15 and independent so it's up to her to see them through. Thank you all.

Can she try and drink more at the weekend and see if that helps? Then you’ll know.

I doubt it’s that though, if it’s that bad.

I’d try a super healthy diet for a while. Maybe lots of vegetables and no dairy.

She's been following along so thank you all. Here's her plan.

If actimel helps then try dental probiotics?

www.rdhmag.com/patient-care/xerostomia/article/16408156/dental-probiotics-has-a-better-way-to-fight-bad-breath-finally-been-found

askthedentist.com/oral-probiotics/

www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/bad-breath/probiotics-for-bad-breath-a-solution-with-impressive-potential

Very late update. She's stopped eating dairy again and the bad breath is gone. Along with her life long tummy ache.

That's a brilliant update.

Very interesting. Thanks for coming back and updating.