Hi Bryanna, I am so thankful I found you and this website. I am sitting here crying because I do not know if what I am experiencing is normal or not and I'm hoping you can help me.

Five days ago I had tooth #3 pulled and a bone graft done in preparation for an implant. I have a disgusting taste and smell coming from the site and also a salty taste which my OS said is the graft material and is normal. I don't know if I have an infection or this is how this material is supposed to smell and taste but I can't imagine my gum healing up around this and that smell/taste being trapped up in my gum.

I am assuming this might be an infection as I can't imagine what else could cause this kind of taste and odor. I am embarrassed to talk to anyone face to face for fear they can smell it too. I noticed this 24 hours after the surgery. A bit ago I was brushing my teeth and when I was done I felt something small in my mouth and it was a little white crumb, the graft material which my OS said I would experience but he said it would be gritty.

I took it off my tongue and felt it and it was very firm so I pushed on it and it became soft and I smelled it and almost threw up! THAT is where this awful smell and taste is coming from and this just can't be healthy to stay in my mouth. My OS has me on Zithromax for 5 days which I just finished today.

Should I ask him to remove the graft material? I am afraid if he does and puts more in there it will do the same thing. I am also in a lot of pain and since I've never had a tooth pulled before don't know if this is normal either. I have been brushing my teeth three times a day since the surgery but nothing and I mean nothing will make this smell/taste go away. I haven't used mouthwash as I didn't know if that would disturb the graft site or not. I do have the prescription blue mouth stuff from another dentist that stains your teeth but haven't used that either. Should I use a little peroxide or salt water?

Please help! Any advice would be SO MUCH appreciated!!

Update: Ok, I just talked to the OS and he assured me I don't have an infection. I asked him how he could know that and that since he took out an infected tooth that it makes sense to me that the bacteria would still be there and would infect the bone graft material as well.

He said that this is normal and the smell and taste is from all the healing that is going on and the graft doesn't need to come out. Said he does these everyday and I definately do NOT have an infection. I just don't know if this is right or not. He has an excellent bedside manner and I felt nothing during the surgery and really like him as an OS so I want to trust what he is saying.

He said for me to come in today and he will rinse the area and inject some medicine up in there that will make it feel a lot better and should help with the taste and smell a lot.

I spent the weekend on dental forums and have read so many stories about infections with bone grafts. Does all this sound legit? Thanks so much! I am just worried that this really IS an infection and we will be just covering up the symptoms and not taking care of the problem.

Hi Houston,

It is normal to have an unpleasant odor and taste for several days after an extraction. This is the result of the surgery and the blood coagulating. The hard white material on your tongue is bone graft material, normal again.

However, do not rinse with anything other than salt water. And rinse very gently for the first 3 days so you don't disturb the graft and blood clot. There is no need to brush 3 times a day it will not get rid of the odor or taste.

I am curious...... did the dentist actually irrigate the surgical site out today when you saw him?

Bryanna

I don't remember if he irrigated it the day I went back in but he did pack it with some type of brown medicine that was Septocide or something like that. He said I will feel better and the smell and taste would go away and it did. It had a numbing effect and that night I was 90% pain free. He said it would come out that night and I can come back everyday or every other day and have it packed until the pain subsides. However that was a week ago and I have little to no pain and the smell and taste are completely gone. I only needed to have it packed just the one time. But I wonder if I need to have more bone graft put in the place where that medicine was packed since that has an indention now where the medicine came out. What do you think?

I need to buy stock in that stuff as it was amazing.

Hi Houston,

I'm not sure what the dentist put in that surgical area. There are several different types of medicaments that can be used. But I'm glad that the pain has gone away!

The area has to heal more before it can be determined if more bone graft should be added or not. Do you have a post op appointment with the dentist?

Bryanna

Tooth extracted 08/04/14 with bone graft in upper far left. This odor is disgusting out of my mind. I returned to surgeon on 8/11/14 with a dry socket. Doc irrigated, initiated bleeding, twice adding medicinal smelling medication (brown soaked paper?) that helped.

That smell was gross but the smell now is more along the lines of a water treatment plant, the original odor was akin to road kill, this is worse and sneezing makes the odor more prevalent.

I took three Z-pacs of antibiotics because I am traveling for weeks.
My left sinus throbs at a 2, but throbbing for days at any level is disconcerting. I need to know if I am okay because I do not feel okay.

My doc is in Houston! I'm travelling to NY and this is interfering. The weather is WET and chilly for a Texan. I'm almost four weeks into this and not where I think I should be in healing.

Hi JosTeethHurt,

I am in the dental field and can offer you some information here.

It is not unusual for there to be a foul mouth odor for several days after the extraction of a tooth. However you should not be experiencing that now nor should your sinus be uncomfortable.

The fact that you had a dry socket may also indicate that the problem has not resided and an infection may be brewing.... and your sinus may be involved. Did you dentist mention anything to you about a sinus perforation when he extracted the tooth? Sometimes these can be seen and sometimes not.

I think you need to be seen by an oral surgeon to evaluate the area. I would suggest that you call your texas dentist tell him what you are experiencing and ask him if he knows of an oral surgeon in NY. If he doesn't, then give me a general location of where you are in NY or pm me and I will see if I can look one up for you.

In the meantime do not rinse with any mouthwash. I know it is tempting but it will harm the socket and could prevent further healing. Rinse with warm salt water 3 times a day as this will help reduce the bacteria. But it won't take the place of an office visit with a surgeon.

By any chance was the extracted tooth a root canaled tooth? If so, how long ago was it root canaled?

Let me know if I can try to help you further...
Bryanna