How should a patient behave if an unpleasant odor appears from under the crown?

From this article you will learn:

• Causes
• Factors of destruction of a molar, incisor or canine
• When a visit to the dentist should be urgent
• Is it possible to get rid of the smell from under the crown on your own?
• How to treat unpleasant odor from under a crown
• Characteristic signs of pathology

A putrid odor coming from under a denture or implant – halitosis – is a clear sign of inflammation in the oral cavity. The reasons for it are different. This could be a medical error, a violation of hygiene, or a symptom of a purulent process in the jaw and gums. If you notice an unpleasant odor coming from under the crown, you should contact your dentist.

Causes

The main reason for the unpleasant odor from under the crown is the proliferation of bacterial flora and rotting food. But this is already a consequence. Possible culprits of halitosis:

1. The dentist who installed the dental structure - an unpleasant odor appears a few days after the procedure.
2. The patient is a neglect of the rules of hygiene, the presence of bad habits. The smell appears several months and even years after the installation of the prosthesis.
3. Common reasons that do not depend on either the patient or the doctor are the life of the tooth under the crown has come to an end, an allergy to prosthetic materials, diseases that are accompanied by severe immunosuppression, and a decrease in bone density.

And most importantly! Regardless of the cause, if you experience bad breath, consult your doctor. Bacterial processes in the oral cavity can cause tooth loss and contribute to the development of abscess and phlegmon of the jaw.

Principle of installation of the prosthesis

In recent years, dental orthopedics has been actively introducing new materials.
Fragile plastic has been replaced by aesthetic porcelain and ultra-durable zirconium. But the general installation technology remains the same. The basis for prosthetics is always a dilapidated tooth that cannot be restored with a filling. After careful grinding, a pre-made overlay is put on it. If several teeth have been lost, the dentist suggests installing a special prosthesis consisting of several crowns. It is also fixed on the remaining “stumps” or secured with the smallest locks. They are pressed as tightly as possible to the gum, protecting it from the ingress of food debris. But even the highest quality construction has a limited service life and requires periodic examination by a dentist.

Factors of destruction of a molar, incisor or canine

Installing a crown does not provide a 100% guarantee of the safety of a molar, canine or incisor.

Photo 1. Names of teeth

Under the influence of unfavorable factors, they begin to collapse even under a prosthesis. Possible reasons:

1. Thermal – temperature changes adversely affect not only the enamel, but also the material of the prosthesis.
2. Mechanical - the formation of cracks when chewing solid food.
3. Chemical - crowns are made of inert material, but with prolonged exposure to aggressive substances they begin to deteriorate.
4. Poor hygiene.
5. The general condition - lack of nutrients, calcium, fluoride - leads to the fact that the tooth begins to decay under the crown.
6. Infection - the causes are either poor quality work of the dentist, or a severe form of any bacterial, viral or fungal disease.

Possible causes of the problem

If the crown on your front tooth rotates or becomes loose, you should consult a specialist. Mobility may be associated with errors made during the treatment process. There are other reasons too.

• Bite abnormalities. Due to the incorrect location of the dentition, the load is distributed unevenly, so the hard tissues gradually become thinner.
• Exceeding the maximum load. It is not recommended to chew nuts, seeds, or candies. Eating foods that are too hard can also damage your crown.
• Food particles getting into the hood. If the crown does not fit tightly to the gum, various small particles can accumulate under it, which causes decementation.

Possible reasons

All possible causes can be divided into 3 groups - the fault of the doctor, the patient and pathological processes independent of them. The latter are extremely rare, and halitosis is not a typical symptom.

Table. Possible causes of bad breath.

Tooth decay is caused by calcium deficiency and bone disease. But these pathologies have characteristic symptoms. The destruction of teeth indicates an advanced form of the disease.

Why does the smell appear?

A putrid odor accompanies the destruction of tooth tissue. It can be triggered by various reasons, but all of them can be divided into two large groups: medical error and poor oral hygiene.

The most common medical errors:

• Installing a crown with a small gap. Visually, such a gap is usually invisible, but food debris easily penetrates through it under the crown. There they begin to rot, causing an unpleasant odor. The rotting mass is a favorable environment for the proliferation of microorganisms. They begin to develop quickly, which further aggravates the problem and can cause an inflammatory process.
• Incorrect installation of the crown or use of low-quality materials. The crown is fixed with dental cement. High-quality material has a long service life. But when the clinic uses low-quality consumables, the cement gradually crumbles. The prosthetic structure loses the necessary tightness, gaps appear, and the crown begins to wobble. Food debris clogged into the cavity begins to rot and creates a favorable environment for the proliferation of bacteria. It’s easy to avoid such a problem - get prosthetics done in a good clinic. Our dentistry employs experienced doctors and dental technicians, and we use high-quality consumables. Therefore, the likelihood of cement destruction and depressurization of the structure is reduced to almost zero.
• Oxidation of metal elements of the crown. Such problems arise when using cermets. The metal frame begins to oxidize, and the resulting oxides affect the supporting tooth. As a result of chemical reactions, the tooth is destroyed. All these processes are accompanied by a smell and an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
• Installing a crown on a weak tooth. The supporting tooth on which the crown is installed must be healthy. The weak one will continue to deteriorate under the prosthesis. Rotting processes are accompanied by an unpleasant odor.

When contacting the ARDC clinic, you do not have to worry about medical errors. Before prosthetics, you will be given a full examination and diagnosis. A strong support will be selected to install the crown. Weak units are removed. If necessary, the doctor will recommend implantation and install the implant in place of the extracted tooth.

The tooth is ground down for the crown, so during the period when the dentures are made, it remains unprotected. To avoid destruction after grinding, temporary prostheses are installed in our clinic. These are inexpensive acrylic structures that allow you to lead a normal lifestyle. This approach reduces the risk of developing secondary deep caries under the crown.

Poor hygiene can lead to dire consequences. After prosthetics, the doctor gives recommendations on caring for the oral cavity, implants, and dentures. The dentist will recommend you a suitable toothbrush and toothpaste, and special devices that will allow you to thoroughly remove plaque.

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When a visit to the dentist should be urgent

The appearance of an unpleasant odor from under dental structures is accompanied by additional symptoms. There is no need to delay your visit to the doctor.

Reasons to urgently consult a doctor:

1. Mobility, complete or partial destruction of the crown.
2. Pain – sharp, dull, aching, shooting, when biting, when brushing teeth, when exposed to thermal irritants.
3. Change in gum color - hyperemia, cyanosis, swelling.
4. Suppuration from under the crown, gums, formation of fistula tracts.
5. Recurrent episodes of sinusitis.
6. Numbness of the tongue, strange taste in the mouth.
7. General weakness, fever, enlarged lymph nodes.
8. Formation of a galvanic couple due to different prosthetic materials. Accompanied by a metallic taste in the mouth and electrical impulses.

But even if nothing besides amber bothers you, then consult a dentist. A bad odor indicates the proliferation of bacterial flora. And the appearance of pain or pus is a matter of time.

Is there any way I can get rid of the smell from under the crown on my own?

You can get rid of the putrid smell yourself only by improving the quality of hygiene. This includes high-quality brushing of teeth, the use of floss and rinses.

And most importantly! Independence is good only if the smell has appeared recently and the patient has neglected hygiene rules for a week or two.

In case of tooth decay under the crown, gumboil development, or periostitis, home methods are ineffective.

Photos 2 and 3. Development of flux and periostitis

They can mask the aroma and inhibit the inflammatory process. But it is impossible to suppress the bacterial flora and restore the prosthesis at home.

How to treat unpleasant odor from under a crown

At the initial stage of treatment, the doctor must identify the reasons for the appearance of a bad odor from under the dental structure. Diagnostics includes:

1. Examination of the oral cavity.
2. X-ray of the tooth, according to indications - maxillary sinuses, orthopantomogram.
3. Development of a patient management plan.

Based on the examination results, the doctor will suggest therapeutic or surgical treatment. You may need to consult a periodontist or otolaryngologist.

What the dentist can offer:

1. Treatment of caries, sanitation of dental canals with their subsequent filling.
2. In case of inflammation of the gums, the doctor will evaluate the quality of the installation of the prosthesis and the depth of the periodontal pockets. Their cleaning, rinsing with antibacterial solutions, and applications with medications are indicated. In severe cases, the doctor will prescribe antibiotic injections. After stopping the inflammatory process, physiotherapy is indicated for the mineralization of bone tissue.
3. Installation of a new prosthesis - if the old crown cannot be restored, was installed with errors, or the patient has developed an allergy to the materials from which it is made.
4. If tooth root cysts are identified, then their removal is indicated. Access is through an incision in the gum. The tooth can be saved.
5. If perforation of the maxillary sinus is detected, the implant is removed. The sinuses are sanitized by an otolaryngologist. After stopping the inflammatory process, the bone tissue is restored, the bottom of the maxillary sinus is raised and a new implant is installed.

And most importantly! If a medical error has been made, self-respecting clinics provide treatment under a guarantee. Implantation, installation of crowns, dental structures are expensive services. And if the clinic does not provide a guarantee for its work, then you need to change the medical institution.

Additionally, conservative therapy is indicated - rinsing with decoctions of medicinal herbs, antibacterial drugs, training in the rules of oral care.

What to do if there is a smell under the crown

Herbal rinses or applications are not able to stop the process of destruction of dental tissue. Moreover, the use of folk remedies can delay a visit to the doctor, delaying time. And now a small caries provokes a lot of inflammation. If in the initial stages the tooth can be cured, then in advanced cases it has to be removed. And even if it is possible to save it, the treatment can be lengthy and expensive.

Sometimes, pus under the crown accumulates in periodontal pockets. The gum peels off from the neck of the tooth, bacteria enter the gap, forming, together with decay products and minerals, first plaque and then tartar. Without professional pocket cleaning (curettage), it is easy to lose a tooth. Suppuration of the gum pockets is possible even if the crown is installed on the implant. Most often, if the technology was broken or the implant was selected incorrectly.

It is impossible to make a diagnosis on your own. The dentist relies not only on the examination data, but also on the x-ray. It clearly shows carious lesions or inflammatory processes. The treatment and prognosis for saving the tooth depend on the diagnosis.

Characteristic signs of pathology

There are many causes of bad breath. All of them are accompanied by similar manifestations. And an unpleasant odor from under the crown is not a characteristic symptom. This is a sign of an already running chronic infectious process.

Additional symptoms may develop both before and after the appearance of an unpleasant odor. Frequent unpleasant signs of inflammation:

• pain syndrome;
• suppuration;
• food getting stuck;
• gum hyperemia;
• swelling of the face;
• unpleasant taste.

As a rule, before pain appears, many people try to treat themselves. But then they go to the doctor. The later you go to the dentist, the higher the risk of complications and tooth loss.

Signs of tooth decay under the crown

Tooth decay under the crown is a dangerous situation for the body. The process is accompanied by the proliferation of pathogenic flora. With the blood flow it enters all organs and systems.

Symptoms of tooth decay under a denture:

• halitosis – the appearance of an unpleasant odor;
• mobility of the dental structure;
• darkening of a molar, incisor or canine;
• taste of pus in the mouth;
• receding gums, exposing the neck of the tooth;
• tissue hyperemia, bleeding from the gums;
• pain when biting, temperature change.

Do not delay in seeing a doctor. The sooner you start treatment, the greater the chances of saving the tooth under the crown and preventing the development of complications. Price list with orthopedic services – follow the link.

Causes of blood taste in mouth

Sometimes, in addition to the unpleasant smell, the patient is also bothered by the taste of blood in the mouth. Possible reasons for such sensations:

• Gingivitis develops, inflammation of the gums around the crown. The mucous membrane can become inflamed for various reasons. For example, the prosthesis fits tightly to the soft tissues, constantly rubbing them.
• The crown scratches and injures the adjacent gum. Blood is released, infection enters the wound, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed and bleeds. This only happens if the crown is not fixed correctly or if its dimensions are violated. Needs a complete refurbishment.
• Bleeding can cause unsatisfactory treatment of the tooth before placing a prosthesis. Poor filling of canals or incomplete removal of the pulp invariably causes inflammation and accumulation of purulent masses. Tissues are destroyed with the release of blood.

The appearance of blood discharge in the oral cavity should not be ignored. Pathogens easily penetrate an open wound, causing great damage to human health.