Your mouth smells rotten - what are the reasons, what to do, how to get rid of the smell

The problem of bad breath plagues almost the entire population of the world. It is often quite simple to deal with it by brushing your teeth with a refreshing paste on your toothbrush. However, in some situations, if the smell thins out the aroma of rot, this is quite difficult to do. This disease is called halitosis, and by its nature it causes its owner not pain, but psychological problems, sometimes leading to depression.

That is why the putrid smell should be gotten rid of immediately in order to lead a normal personal life and good communication. To do this, the first thing you should do is find out the root cause of such an unpleasant odor and the possibility of curing it.

Sources of halitosis

The smell of rotten breath is a serious reason to visit the dentist.

itself is an unpleasant, persistent odor from the mouth that cannot be eliminated with home hygiene products.

This problem, in its essence, is not a disease at all, but simply helps a person understand that there are disorders in the body.

This is why the first thing a person should do is see a dentist, as the source can often be found in the oral area. Only after this, if the dentist is unable to detect it, does an examination of the internal organs begin.

Doctors include the most well-known sources of disgusting odor:

problematic teeth - the presence of caries, inflammation of the gums and bone tissue, improper treatment when placing a filling, stomatitis;
fungal infection or disturbances in the functioning of the salivary glands, especially in old age, when the flow of saliva becomes much less;
diseases of internal organs - intestines, pulmonary and endocrine systems;
The appearance of bad breath in women can provoke menstruation ;
inflammation in the body .

Symptoms and need for treatment

If the gums smell rotten, but there is no pain, a person often ignores this symptom for a long time, trying to hide the deficiency with chewing gum, lollipops, and toothpastes “for fresh breath.” However, if the problem is started, additional symptoms will arise that should not be ignored:

swelling of soft tissues, the appearance of compactions or formations that are soft inside, and their contents gradually increase;
fever without cold symptoms;
sharp or aching pain radiating to the jaw and temple area;
loss of appetite, insomnia, worsening mood;
obvious facial asymmetry associated with edema;
difficulties in chewing food, talking;
loosening of teeth, exposure of roots.

It is important not to ignore these symptoms, but to consult a doctor immediately. The danger is that the smell of pus indicates infection of the areas. Fistulas can form on the mucous membranes, the rupture of which will lead to pus entering the body, which will cause serious damage to internal organs. Treatment of the problem at the initial stage will be as effective as possible, will allow you to avoid unnecessary expenses, and save teeth that can be damaged during purulent processes.

Causes of unpleasant odor

The source of halitosis can be not only dental problems, but also diseases of internal organs.

In general, all the causes of the unpleasant smell of rotten breath can be divided into 2 large groups:

physiological stem from poor diet and terrible oral hygiene;
Pathological causes are influenced by more serious problems with internal organs and dental diseases.

Reason for the smell	Main features	Associated symptoms
Disorders in the gastrointestinal tract	With increased acidity in the stomach, ulcers and gastritis, sour breath occurs. Dysbacteriosis and intestinal obstruction – heavy aroma of feces. In case of low acidity or poisoning - hydrogen sulfide.	The most common symptoms are nausea and vomiting. There is a constant bitterness in the mouth. Constipation, diarrhea and stomach pain are characteristic of gastrointestinal diseases
Respiratory diseases	Smells like rot and pus	Severe shortness of breath, sometimes turning into suffocation, cough: dry or wet depending on the illness, coughing up blood
Severe caries in an advanced stage	Rotten smell of rotten meat	Acute but short-term pain with shooting, brown spots on the teeth
Presence of dentures in the mouth	Putrid aroma	A large number of bacteria accumulate on dentures
Diseases of the ENT system	The odor usually resembles that of pus, but depending on the disease, it may be stronger.	Immune system disorders, inflammation in damaged areas, high body temperature, discharge from the ears and nose, pain
Constant smoking	The aroma of rot and the specific aroma of tobacco	Dry mouth, gray skin
Disorders of the salivary glands	Fetid smell of rot	Dry mouth due to low saliva production, shooting pain in damaged saliva and swelling
Diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2	Unpleasant smell of acetone and fruits	Constant fatigue, frequent urination, constant hunger and thirst, numbness in the arms and legs
Liver failure	Smells like rotten fish and ammonia	Bitterness in the mouth, nausea, jaundice, muscle weakness, shortness of breath
Periodontitis	Sulfur scent	Food getting between the teeth, feeling of their unsteadiness, discomfort when chewing, formation of pockets in the gums

Putrid breath in children and adolescents

If your child has bad breath, pay attention to the accompanying symptoms.

Children may experience bad breath due to many reasons. It can affect anyone, from infants to teenagers. The main factor is almost always the increased proliferation of bacteria and other pathogenic microbes in the tongue area or on the tonsils.

Serious internal diseases at this age develop quite rarely, so the first thing you should pay attention to is oral hygiene and the balance of microflora.

The first thing you should pay attention to is saliva. Often there may be severe dryness in the mouth, which leads to the appearance of aroma. It occurs due to a chronic runny nose, growths on the tonsils, or frequent mouth breathing, especially during sleep.
The second most likely factor is the appearance of caries and the development of other dental diseases; this issue is especially relevant in adolescents when wisdom teeth begin to appear, and in infants during the teething period, accompanied by inflammation.
The appearance of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

In any case, if bad breath appears, parents should take the child for a comprehensive examination to identify the root cause and timely treatment.

Symptoms of tooth decay

The process of rotting under the crown proceeds unnoticed and painlessly, because the nerves have been removed. Painful sensations appear later, when the inflammatory process spreads to the gums, and this is a step towards the loss of “neighboring” completely healthy dental units. Immediate consultation with a dentist is necessary if you notice:

the appearance of a gap between the crown and gum;
small particles of food getting under the denture;
an unpleasant odor that reappears even after comprehensive cleaning and rinsing with an antiseptic;
blackening of the base of the tooth.

Things to remember:
Tooth destruction is irreversible; even a highly qualified specialist cannot restore its natural integrity. And a timely visit to the dentist will certainly help to avoid complications.

Diagnosis

For self-diagnosis, use dental floss.

It is quite easy to determine whether a person has a problem with bad breath, even at home. Objectively, it is best to use another person for this, who will tell you the result.

You can use dental floss to detect plaque by running it along the tooth. Take a closer look to see if a yellow coating has formed on it, and after 30 seconds, sniff. The aroma that appears will be the result.

Medical institutions use special devices that are designed to detect the amount of unpleasant substances in exhaled air. To more clearly identify the root cause of halitosis, the following methods are used:

examination of the oral cavity for inflammation, caries and redness;
blood test to detect inflammatory processes in the body and increased sugar levels in diabetes;
urine test to detect problems with the renal system;
examination of the gastrointestinal tract and liver in the form of ultrasound and gastroduodenoscopy;
inspection of the lingual dorsum.

The doctor must take an anamnesis. As you can see, one dentist cannot make an accurate diagnosis, since the reasons may not only be dental problems, so an otolaryngologist, pulmonologist and gastroenterologist often come to the rescue.

Change in tooth color (darkening of the tooth) - when a nerve is removed

When the nerve is removed from the tooth, after a while (from six months to several years) due to the fact that the nervous, circulatory and lymphatic supply to the tooth has ceased, the color of the tooth changes - discoloration and darkening are noted in the future. If chewing teeth have been depulped, the color change is not noticeable in most patients, unlike the front teeth. Anterior teeth after root canal treatment often require color correction to achieve smile aesthetics. This is achieved through endodontic whitening, veneers, or crowning such teeth. In most cases, when the crown of a tooth is filled or a permanent crown-shaped prosthesis is installed after root canal treatment, this discoloration is not noticeable. In cases where a tooth crown is not required, and the tooth itself is located in the frontal area of the smile, whitening or veneering helps eliminate discoloration of the teeth.

Treatment of disgusting oral odor

If the source of the unpleasant odor is the oral cavity, it will require complete sanitation.

If the source of the smell of rot is diseases of the internal organs, then the first step in treatment should be aimed at solving these problems. Here, doctors of individual specializations already come to the rescue, and this happens according to generally accepted standards.

It’s another matter when bad breath is affected by dental diseases.

If there is a problem with diseased teeth, they are treated or removed if they cannot be saved. The dentist independently determines the recommended course of action.
Carrying out professional teeth cleaning - the procedure helps to remove all plaque on and under the gums.
Treatment of inflammation of the gums, sanitization of the mouth, replacement of fillings and dentures if they are installed incorrectly.
Training from a hygienist in proper independent oral hygiene.
Correction of salivation to normal when it decreases.

Treatment options for a tooth under a crown

When contacting the clinic, the dentist determines how great the changes are in the dental tissues, and based on the results of the examination, prescribes treatment.

If the tooth stump has not undergone any changes and rot has not affected it, the doctor cleans out the accumulated food debris from under the crown. Then a new prosthesis or an old one, but corrected, is installed.
If healthy roots remain, the crown is placed on the stump tab. This device is made in a dental laboratory from an impression and is a structure with peculiar “legs” that are designed to fix the inlay in the tooth canals. And a crown is attached on top.
If both the upper and root parts of the tooth have rotted, the remains are removed from the mouth and periodontitis is treated. The patient then has to decide on how to restore the tooth. There are two options: implantation or installation of a bridge.

When contacting a clinic for initial prosthetics, it is important to find out at the stage of monitoring institutions whether the clinic provides a guarantee for the treatment provided. If there is a guarantee, then in case of medical errors, treatment and re-restoration are carried out free of charge for the patient.

Pharmaceutical preparations for bad breath.

Pharmacies offer a number of products to help cope with unpleasant odors. Before purchasing, be sure to check that they have antibacterial properties, regardless of the type.

lollipops will easily freshen your breath for a couple of hours due to their antiseptic properties, which help destroy even bacterial membranes;

balm contains chlorhexidine, which destroys all bacteria, and essential refreshing oils will make your breath fragrant;

spray has antimicrobial properties, refreshing the oral cavity and simultaneously providing a disinfectant effect.

Traditional medicine in the fight against bad breath

Use herbal infusions as an adjuvant therapy.

There are many grandmother’s recipes aimed at combating putrefactive odor.

Mint infusion - put a spoonful of dry mint in a glass, pour boiling water over it and leave to steep for an hour. Then strain and add a few drops of lemon juice or table vinegar. Rinse your mouth with this decoction several times a day for 14 days.
Chamomile tea – brew dry chamomile (1 spoon) with a glass of water, boil for about five minutes, then drink. This should be done several times a day, each time preparing a new drink.
Decoction of wormwood - take a couple of spoons of wormwood, brew it with boiling water and let the mixture brew for a while. The rinse aid should be used for a couple of weeks, used 3 times during the day.
coffee beans into your mouth, then suck them for a quarter of an hour. When conducting an experiment in Israel, it was found that drinking a cup of freshly brewed coffee has the same effect. The aroma from the mouth takes on a specific coffee smell.

Preventive measures

Give up bad habits!

To prevent the occurrence of a problem with an unpleasant odor, prevention should be used. It consists in:

constant proper oral hygiene, using dental floss and other hygiene products 2 times a day - morning and evening;
periodic visits to the dentist at least 2 times a year;
quitting smoking and other bad habits;
proper nutrition and maintaining optimal water balance in the body;
timely treatment of the root cause of halitosis;
add spices to your food - cinnamon and ginger help activate the secretion of saliva.

What to do if a crown falls out

The crown sometimes flies off the tooth not only due to the complete destruction of the stump tissue. Sometimes the prosthesis comes off because it is poorly fixed to the cement: the material has collapsed or the adhesion to the crown material has been lost.

Often people do not attach importance to this, installing the crown in place on their own each time. However, such neglect is fraught with rotting of the tooth under the crown or accidental swallowing of the prosthesis. Therefore, you definitely need to contact the clinic to correct fixation deficiencies.

If the crown falls out along with the pin or stump, the conclusion is clear - the doctor did not properly strengthen the structure inside the tooth. Particular care must be taken to follow the technology when working with a stump insert: after it is placed in the root canals of the tooth, adjustment of the structure with a drill is possible only after 24 hours. This time is necessary for the cement to harden.

Inexperienced dentists often begin adjusting the inlay 10-15 minutes after installation. The cement breaks down before it has time to harden. Of course, soon the entire structure falls out into the oral cavity. If the crown is in satisfactory shape, a professional dentist can quickly return it to its place if you contact him without delay.