My tooth smells bad. What does it mean?
There are a number of reasons your tooth smells bad. But the most common is a tooth decay.
The bacteria in your mouth may help in keeping it healthy. However, when there’s overgrowth of harmful bacteria, these organisms begin to feed on your tooth. The result will be a bad odor emission. That said, you’ll notice that your tooth will smell bad.
If you don’t seek dental treatment, the bacteria will further buildup on your teeth. Then, they feed on the plaque. They also eat those food particles that aren’t removed from your mouth that stick to your tooth. Your tooth enamel will start to wear away. And as your tooth becomes decayed, you’ll smell very bad.
If you don’t seek dental treatment, your tooth will crack, chip and break because the bacteria buildup can cause your tooth to be brittle.
Does the Smell Come From the Tooth?
It usually does come from the tooth itself. However, in some cases, the bad smell comes from the gums.
This happens when the tartar buildup isn’t removed. It’ll start to push to the gum line and begin forming deep pockets. When these pockets are infected, they can cause strong odor, which gives rise to the condition known as periodontitis.
Again, if you don’t seek dental treatment, the affected teeth will become loose and may eventually fall out.
Apart from tooth decay and periodontitis, an infection in your tooth may also emit a bad smell because of the formation of abscess. The abscess has a liquid with foul smell when it drains. In addition to having a foul smell, you’ll also experience pain as the abscess puts pressure on your tooth’s root.
How It’s Treated?
When your tooth smells bad, you should immediately call your dentist to undergo treatment. The treatment will depend on the real cause of the smell.
Most of the time, dental cleaning is the answer to a smelly tooth.
If the tooth is filled with cavities, a dental filling is applied to finally get rid of the smell.
In the case of abscess, your dentist will flush out the infection and the area will be cleaned with warm salt water. You’ll also need to take antibiotics for seven days.
However, if the damage is extensive, a root canal may be performed to save your tooth.
In an unfortunate event, especially if you delayed seeking treatment, tooth extraction may be necessary. This is essential to preserve your oral health and the health of the surrounding teeth, as well as your gums and bone.
Prevent Your Tooth From Smelling Bad
This can be prevented by practicing good oral hygiene. After every meal, you should brush your teeth and floss. Brushing your teeth after every meal should be done to keep your dental enamel in perfect shape and maintaining a fresh smelling breath.
And you should also visit your dentist regularly.
If your tooth smells bad, you should act now and call Nicholas S St George, DDS to schedule an appointment. Delaying treatment may result in you losing your tooth.