Hi, I've noticed for some time a rather unpleasant order between #30 and 31 when flossing. Both teeth have crowns and one has a root canal. The other night I woke at 1:AM with a toothache in that area. By morning it was gone and hasn't bothered me since. But what I did discover at 1AM as I was trying to figure out what was wrong and which tooth was bothering me was that this odor was/is quite strong and noticiable, particularly if I touch the area. I bought little tiny brushes to get in between the teeth and have been cleaning the area several times a day yet the odor persists. This is embarrassing to say the least. I know I need to say the dentist but 1) I am extremely dental phobic and 2) I have had some alarming neurological symptoms of late which makes sitting in a dental chair near impossible for me.

I have smelled a similar odor on others breath at times and am mortified to think that is what mine smells like. I am imaging the worst, that is horrible bone infection that is spreading throughout my body or a tumor under the tooth. My mind does run to worst case scenario so I'm nothing in reality neither of these are the case.

I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with what could be causing this oder and what needs to be done to fix it; what will the dentist most likely recommend? My pain and discomfort level is minimal, just a slight tenderness of the gum near the gum line, no tooth pain, no redness, no oozing.

This may be related to your other issue
that you posted about.

Hi AppleTree,

I read your other posts to see what they were about before I replied to your inquiry on this forum. I can address your dental concerns and the information I offer you about your teeth may or may not be correlated with your throat issues.

Firstly, I understand from your other posts that you are trying to take care of yourself as you are mindful of your diet etc. One thing that stood out to me was your deliberate habit of limiting your salt intake. Is there a reason you are doing this? Not all salt is bad for us. In fact salt is an essential nutrient that all people need to have enough of every single day for many bodily functions. It's important to eat unrefined healthy salt and avoid chemically processed table salt or sodium chloride. Here is an article written by Dr Mercola on salt... very informative.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...y-doctors.aspx

Regarding your dental problem.... I understand that you have a fear of being in the dental chair. Most people have some degree of dental phobia but for some, it can be quite debilitating. It's important to know that there are dentists that cater to people with this intense fear and they truly go out of their way to make the visit less stressful. There are also hypnotherapists that do specific therapy for dental phobia which can be very helpful. I would suggest that you do some research about the hypnotherapy and also for one of these dentists and have someone go with you for the consultation. In the long run it's always easier to go to the dentist before a dental problem becomes too severe. Please understand I am not dismissing or making light of your fear.... I believe it is very real and can be very consuming. But I also know that with help, you can overcome that intense fear enough to get to the dentist for the consultation.

The lack of intense pain with your tooth is not a good indication of the severity of the problem. Most dental problems have little to no symptoms or pain until they have progressed. The tooth symptoms that you have described here commonly indicates what is referred to as a perio/endo infection. This is when the bacteria from inside the root canaled tooth has moved beyond the tooth and to some degree into the interproximal area between the teeth. The bacteria causes inflammation in the bone that is shared by these two teeth which then causes the gum tissue to become unhealthy as well. The odor and taste is the bacteria from the tooth as it's draining from in between the teeth. The drainage may be clear and seem like saliva. The toothache that you had during the night is from the infection building up inside of the tooth. Once the bacteria released itself, the pain subsided. Unfortunately, this infection is not something that you can subside yourself as it is the root canaled tooth that is causing the infection. The only means of eradicating the infection is to remove the source, which is the tooth. Anything other than that, any dental procedure other than that will not have any positive long term affects on this infection.

Here's where there may be a correlation between this dental infection and your other physical symptoms. The bacteria from a tooth infection filters through the blood stream via the blood vessels in the mouth to other areas of the body. This type of infection, as I have described to you, is draining into your mouth, down your throat, into your stomach, etc. So it is not unlikely for a tooth infection to cause or contribute to systemic health problems which often go un-diagnosed or misdiagnosed by medical doctors.

I know this information is making your anxiety hit the roof. I'm very sorry to do that to you .... but you're searching for help and I think it's important for you to know this information. I seriously want to reassure you that there is help for you. I hope you will consider seeking a dentist that caters to people with severe dental fear.

The people who participate here really care about you. Always feel free to express your concerns with us.

Bryanna

Hi, As usual I didn't do a very good job of explaining myself. What I should have said is that I have dental phobia but that is not what is keeping me from going to the dentist. What is keeping me from the "chair" are the other neurological problems in which 100+ times a day I get this feeling in my esophagus/throat like I am going to gag, it is very disturbing when this happens and I have to fight to prevent myself from gagging over and over. Can you imagine sitting in the dental chair feelng like this?

Actually the phobia has helped me to get good dental care because I want to keep my mouth in as good shape as possible and therefore have been obsessive about getting my teeth cleaned and checked every 6 months and have taken care of every problem before it gets big. This is the first time in my adult life I've missed dental cleanings.

Regarding the salt - this is under a doctor's direction due to my vertigo problems. The idea is to keep fluid to a minimum in my inner ear (assuming I have Meniere's). I have wondered if I may be overdoing it with both the low sodium and diuretic but the combination of that and the gluten free diet seems to be working and I pray it continues to do so because having a severe hours long vertigo attack is a horrible experience that I would wish on no one.

Hi AppleTree,

Thank you for clarifying your concerns about being in the dental chair. Dental phobia is most often referred to when people have a fear of dentistry and of receiving dentistry. So if I understand you correctly, your fear is not about that, it is a general fear of gagging irrelevant of where you are or what you are doing.

Regarding your dental health, the dental symptoms you are having are commonly seen with root canaled teeth and indicative of a bacterial infection. If that is the case, then as long as that tooth is present the infection will continue to thrive and spread. If this concerns you and you already have a dentist you are comfortable with, then perhaps it would behoove you to make an appointment. Here is an article written by a dentist who shares his means of dealing with patients who have a strong gag reflex.

http://www.dentaleconomics.com/artic...t-gagging.html

Regarding the vertigo, I have endured episodes of vertigo and can appreciate how debilitating that can be. What I found out after working with an Integrative practitioner is that I was depriving myself of salt unwisely thinking it was healthier to limit my intake. When I educated myself on the importance of consuming salt and the differences between table salt and unrefined salt, I realized the health benefits that I was missing by not using the healthier salt. I increased my salt intake using pure pink Himalayan salt and my vertigo subsided.

When someone is low in serum sodium, they will end up with an electrolyte imbalance. This can cause a variety of symptoms depending on the severity of it ...but 2 of those symptoms are vertigo/dizziness and involuntary gag reflex or vomiting. A true sodium deficiency is called Hyponatremia.

I'm just offering you information that I hope is helpful to you.

Bryanna thank you for taking the time to reply with all your info, especially the link of gagging in the dental chair. It was great to read that there actually are dentists out there who are willing to work with the patient and help them. I'll have to pass that along to some of my friends who are "gaggers."

Re my dental phobia. I have always had dental phobia and as a teen stayed away as much as my parents let me. I grew up without floridated water and as a child had lots of work done and lots of big fillings, most of it without novacaine. Then in my early 20's I realized the best thing I can do is get there regularly and get problems taken care while they are small. Thus I began 6 month schedule that I never strayed from until recetly (and valium has helped). A good part of my dental phobia revolves around that of lying flat back with my head lower than my feet and having water dribble down my throat and the fear of gagging (I have terrible emetophobia). My mouth is tiny I'm told over and over and I have a terrible time with impressions and the newer digital xrays.

My recent problem with the dentist however, while still that of a fear of gagging is entirely different. The above gagging is from specific large things being stuck in my mouth, such as an impression, or a big digital xray. That I am still afraid of but now I have the additional problem of having this unnamed neuro disorder which causes a feeling of gagging from my esophagus to throat. This happens spontaneously over and over all day long and has nothing at all to do with dental impressions. When it happens I need to stand up straight, thump on my chest a little (kind of like burping a baby) and it ends with a hiccup, which can be loud, all the while feeling llike I will gag. Do you see why this can be difficult in a dental chair? This whole problem whatever it is, has been so distubing and disrupting to my entire life.

So I really have a two fold problem, the initial dental phobia which I have always had and this newer problem which makes the initial one that much worse.

So, that's my story . . . . . I did make an appt today and am seeing the dentist next week. I am not happy with this dentist. About 3 years ago I switched to one that was superb, the best dentist I have ever been to in so many ways, and he could even work with me in a semi upright position which was a big plus. But then he left to bigger and better places so now I am seeing his partner who is nowhere near as good.

I get my sodium and other electrolytes checked every 6 months and they are always fine, never a problem, sodium is right there in the middle of the range. So I think I'm okay with my low sodium diet. My vertigo started before the low sodium so I don't think that is what is causing it.

AppleTree,

Okay, well I'm glad you found the article about the gagging in the dental chair helpful. It sounds like you're convinced that you have a neurological disorder causing the gagging. I really hope someone is able to help you with that so it eases up. I also hope your dental appointment goes okay next week.

All the best to you! Have a nice holiday