Bad breath may make a child self-conscious, especially if he's been teased by peers over his malodorous mouth. Sometimes bad breath is associated with an underlying physical ailment, but more often than not, sweetening a child's breath is just a matter of good oral hygiene. If you've checked to be sure your child is physically healthy and bad breath persists after tooth-brushing, herbs with antiseptic properties may help sweeten his breath.
Parsley
Encourage your kids to eat their parsley instead of scraping it into the trash. James Duke, author of "The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook," calls parsley "nature's own breath of fresh air." Parsley is a good source of chlorophyll, a well-known ingredient in breath mints and breath deodorizers. Chew a sprig or two of parsley after meals to clean up your breath temporarily.
Cardamom
Cardamom grows in southern India, where Ayurvedic practitioners have used its seeds to treat mouth problems for centuries. Cardamom seeds contain a cineole, a phytochemical with antiseptic properties. Chew a handful of cardamom seeds for a quick breath freshener, suggest the authors of "The Way of Ayurvedic Herbs."
Green Tea
Green tea may fight bad breath, according to researchers at Pace University in New York. The study team, headed up by Milton Schiffenbauer, grew three different types of bacteria that cause bad breath in petri dishes, then exposed them to green and black tea for 48 hours. They found that both green tea and black tea killed the bacteria, but green tea was more effective. The effective ingredient appears to be the polyphenols in green tea, which may also stimulate the immune system, according to a BBC news article.
Essential Oil Rinses
Mix 1 to 2 drops of lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, peppermint or clove essential oil into a cup of water and gargle with it two to three times a day. Keep in mind that essential oils should not be ingested, so reserve this bad breath remedy for older children who know how to gargle without swallowing.
References
- "The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook"; James A. Duke; 2000
- "The Way of Ayurvedic Herbs"; Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, Michael Tierra; 2009
- BBC News: Tea May Fight Tooth Decay
