A dental crown is a popular solution for damaged teeth. However, it happens that over time the tooth under the crown starts to smell bad.
Such a problem as an unpleasant odor from under the dental crown should not be ignored, because it can signal that the gaps under the structure penetrated by particles of chewed food, and it is possible that under the crown is not just accumulated plaque, but the process of active rotting of the tooth core has already begun.
The main reasons that can cause unpleasant odor from under a dental crown are:
- Poor fixation and loose fit of the crown to the tooth;
- Poor quality of the artificial crown used;
- Inadequate treatment of the diseased tooth before prosthetic treatment;
- placement of an artificial crown on a severely damaged (up to the gingival level) tooth that can only be extracted;
- neglecting the temporary denture stage before placing permanent crowns;
- mistakes made during the fixation of the dental inlay or post in the root canal;
- loss of seal, i.e. failure of bonding of the crown to the tooth during use;
- Gingival decubitus formation due to the crown penetrating too deeply into the gingival tissue;
- Poor oral hygiene.
Only a qualified professional can determine the exact cause of the unpleasant odor and help you get rid of it. Therefore, do not put off the issue indefinitely, you need to contact an experienced dentist, who will first conduct a thorough examination and assess the condition of the tooth under the crown.
If everything is left to its own devices, you can wait for serious trouble and cast doubt on the possibility of saving the tooth, because, in fact, every day of delay inexorably brings closer the most unpleasant procedure – tooth extraction.
In principle, the structure can be kept on the stump of the tooth until it is almost completely destroyed, but in that time pathological processes can occur underneath it with extremely negative consequences. Multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms under the crown can lead to the development of secondary caries, pulpitis, periostitis (flus), as well as the formation of cysts and granulomas. It is important to understand that in these situations it is necessary to immediately save the tooth, not the artificial construction placed on it, and this may require not only local treatment, but also systemic therapy (in severe cases where, for example, pronounced infection and inflammation need to be suppressed).
If the cause of the odor is a pus-inflammatory process that has begun under the crown, the patient must undergo a series of treatments: removal of the old filling material and damaged tooth substance, antiseptic treatment, treatment of the pus-inflammatory process, and installation of a new filling. Then, under favorable conditions, the restoration is repeated. The worn-out or defective crown is either replaced with a new one, or the old structure is simply fixed again.
If you are worried about unpleasant odor from under the dental crown, you can always contact a highly qualified specialist of dental clinics of the “Healthy Smile” network and get a free consultation. After determining the cause of the problem, Healthy Smiles doctors will develop a personalized treatment plan for you, which will result in you being offered repeat dentures using advanced, reliable techniques.