Bad Breath After Tonsilectomy

Hi C.,
When my 4 year old had her tonsils out she had the same problem... doctor told me it was because of the healing/scarring in her throat and she just needed time. It was so bad you could smell it when you walked into the room she was in! Poor thing, but it did pass after a few days and as she began to eat more frequently and more solids. Brushing alone did not help her either. Hang in there, call the Dr. if you are concerned, but it should get better soon. Good luck, hope he's feeling better soon!
M.

Same with my son after adnoidectomy...Doctors say this is normal and is dried blood( which is a sign your child is NOT still bleeding) that is good!!! I remember not even wanting to go into his room it was so bad! When he can tolerate fluids give him some clear fluids(no ReD). It lasted about three to four days!!

Hi There-
My son had his tonsils out the beginning of July.
Our ENT said that bad breath is sure sign of not enough fluids. The throat dries about and creates that horrible smell. Pump up the fluids. Perhaps give a little less more often to keep his throat moist.

We are about 3 weeks out of the surgery, and the bad breath has gone away.
Good Luck!!

Hi!

This is very normal. It happened to my son as well, although it definately is not the most pleasant thing in the world! The smell is dried blood from when the clotterization. Keep up with the clear liquids and lots of ice cream and all should be well within the week!

I just left the ENT this morning for my own daughter's pre-op appointment for her surgery next Monday! How ironic. Actually, I read in the instructions that it is very common to have a "foul odor" coming from the child for several weeks afterwards. I don't recall this from my first child's surgery, but I do know it is very common. No need to worry.

normal, i had a tonsilectomy at 16, the bad breath is so gross, and I think lasted a month or more, just a result of healing. It will go away with time... Good luck

Hi There. My son had the same surgery when he was three. He is now six. Don't worry. The bad breath thing will go away shortly and it is normal. The smell is not pleasant, but the good news is that it means the area is healing. As scary as it was to go through surgery with our little man, it was amazing to see the difference in him when we compare the before and after! No more sleep apnea, snoring, and very rarely now does he get colds and ear infections. We are so confident that it was the right decision to have the surgery. If you are concered however, I would call the office and speak to a nurse for peace of mind. I never hesitate to do that when I question even the smallest things about my kids. Thats what they are there for! I hope your son is feeling better soon!

Hi Both of my children had this surgery and they both had awful breath-the doctor should have told you it was the one side effect. My children had it bad and right at there two week mark it went away. Thank goodness because at times I thought I could have thrown up it was so bad! Don't worry tho it will be gone before you know it-read your paper work tho because that is the number one thing that happens. Good Luck
Andrea

Hi C.,

My daughter, age 3.5, has the same problem. Her doctor told me it's because she sleeps with her mouth open. This is especially common with children who have tonsillitis and/or tonsillectomies. She told me not to worry about it unless I think/see that she has sleep apnea, which again, I guess is normal for kids who have problems with their tonsils. Plus, it's worse right after the surgery due to "old" blood. It gets better!

could it be that some gauze remained behind? perhaps some scarring took place at the site of his tonsilectomy creating a twist or a fold. if that's the case-bits of food may be getting trapped and rotting. that is truly a hideous smell!!
my daughter and sister both had naturally occuring "extra"folds and wrinkles in and around their tonsils causing something a doctor called "cryptic chronic tonsilitis". my daughter has since had tonsils&adnoids removed and a third set of tubes put in. she still sometimes gets[i know it's gross] throat-chunks when she coughs or clears her throat.
just a thought. good luck.