Foul Water Under the Bridge: Why Your Dental Bridge Smells Unpleasant
Dental bridges are designed to restore the functionality and attractiveness of a smile that is missing one or more teeth. When all goes well, a dental bridge can last as much as 15 years. However, when a dental bridge leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you can be certain that bacteria are to blame.
Bacteria Give off a Foul Odour
Like all living things, bacterial organisms give off an odour. Their particular odour is caused by the release of sulphur, and is to blame for bad breath. When bacterial organisms accumulate in one area, that area will begin to taste and smell unpleasant. Unfortunately, when bacteria build up in an area, it is usually a sign that something is wrong.
New Bridges Are Bonded With Temporary Cement
Some dentists like to be extra sure that a dental bridge is in the optimal position. This means that instead of using permanent cement to bond bridge into position, they use temporary cement. Temporary cement is much easier to remove, thus if any problems arise with the placement of the bridge, a dentist can make the necessary adjustments with little fuss.
However, temporary cement is also weaker than permanent cement and so degrades much faster. As it breaks away from the dental crowns over the abutment teeth, it leaves gaps that invite bacteria and food debris to accumulate. As a result, the rotting food coupled with the millions of bacterial organisms give off a bad odour.
Older Bridges Deteriorate Over Time
While bridges are expected to last around 10 years in most cases, they can fail much earlier than that. There are numerous causes of this. If even a tiny space is left between a crown edge and the gum, the crown will leak. As with the aforementioned issue, bacteria build up in these spaces. However, given time, they will cause the abutment tooth, under the crown, to decay.
The first indication of this will be the unpleasant odour. Unless you seek treatment as soon as possible, so much tooth structure will be lost that the crown will break, compromising the entire bridge. If an abutment tooth fails due to a patient's poor oral hygiene, the bridge will also fail. At this late stage, the abutment tooth will need to be replaced with a dental implant.
If your dental bridge smells bad, act quickly. The sooner your dentist can identify the problem, the sooner they can treat it.
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