Hi ripply,
Bad breath after a tooth extraction is normal as the surgical wound is open and debris collects inside the wound. Once the wound closes, the odor should go away. If there is a lingering infection either in the extraction site or the sinus or the jaw bone, which is not always visible without an xray, then the odor would continue. Did the dentist take an xray of the area at your post operative appointment?
**Was this an upper tooth that was extracted? Had it been root canaled in the past?
**Why was it extracted?
**Do you have periodontal disease or any root canaled teeth?
**Do you smoke or drink alcohol?
**Do you have stomach or intestinal problems ... heartburn, GERD?
You cannot mask the odor as it is occurring for a specific reason or reasons.
The reasons need to be determined or the problem will become worse.
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by ripply
I'd really appreciate any advice on this. I've never had a problem at all with bad breath but I had a tooth extracted 6 weeks ago and since a couple of days after the extraction, my breath has been awful. The tooth wasn't infected and I had no abscess or anything. It's healed up great but I still have this awful smell.
I thought it would stop within a few days but it's still as bad. I went to my dentist for a check up after 2 weeks and he said it had healed very nicely, though I didn't mention this breath problem as I assumed it would stop. I can't think of anything that would be causing it as nothing has changed diet wise, and I have no sinus pain or signs of infection. I brush twice a day and floss daily, as I've always done. I also use Tepe brushes regularly. I've tried using chlorhexidine but it only masked the smell for about 30 mins.
Could anyone help?
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