One of the surest signs of an unhealthy mouth is bad breath or foul smells coming from your mouth. The last thing you want or would expect is for a cosmetic dentistry solution like veneers to cause foul odours, but there is a connection. No, veneers do not cause bad smells in your mouth. Foul smells can develop around the edges of veneers if you neglect your oral hygiene. We’ll explain how and why that happens and — most importantly — what you need to know to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
You may be shirking your oral hygiene
Veneers are thin shells often made of porcelain that cover the surface of your teeth to hide imperfections and to project a perfect profile. While veneers cover most of your tooth’s surface, they don’t cover the entire tooth. Small portions of your natural tooth at and below your gum line are exposed to the contents of your mouth, including bacteria. Oral bacteria that can cause tooth decay and gum disease won’t affect your actual veneers, but they can still affect your natural tooth and gum tissue. When bacteria accumulates between your teeth and along and below your gum line, that bacteria can cause bad breath. Oral bacteria produce foul odours and bad breath by exhaling sulfur that contributes to many foul smells.
Your veneers may not be fitting properly
Properly fitting dental veneers in NE Calgary lay firmly and snugly against the underlying tooth without leaving any noticeable edges or gaps. A dental veneer that does not fit properly, on the other hand, may leave gaps between the veneer and the surface of your natural tooth. If you’re noticing a foul smell around your veneers but are diligent when it comes to oral hygiene — brushing and flossing — the culprit contributing to that foul smell may be a poorly fitting veneer. You should contact a dental clinic in NE Calgary to get confirmation that your veneers are fitting properly and to get any issues addressed as soon as possible.
You may be suffering from gum disease
Those bacteria that can cluster around the edges of a veneer can produce foul odours entirely on their own. Worse than that, though, those same bacteria can cause periodontal disease — gum disease in the form of gingivitis or periodontitis in your gum tissue adjacent to your veneers. Once in place and unless addressed, that gum disease can spread to other parts of your gums. There are many symptoms of gum disease, including: red and swollen gums, bleeding gums, loose and sensitive teeth, and — most importantly for our purposes — persistent bad breath that mouthwash doesn’t solve.
You may be suffering from tooth decay
Much like a dental crown, the integrity of your dental veneer depends in large part on the health of the underlying tooth. While a veneer covers the forward-facing surface of your tooth, it does not cover the entire surface and does not at all cover the rear or roots of your tooth. Even a tooth covered with a veneer is vulnerable to tooth decay if oral bacteria and food particles are allowed to accumulate in your mouth. As tooth decay progresses, it contributes to a wide variety of symptoms including: sensitive teeth, cavities, a foul taste in your mouth, and — most importantly for our purposes — bad breath.
Bad smells that seem to come from your veneers or areas of your tooth and gums around your veneers are unfortunately common because tooth decay, gum disease, and poor oral hygiene are also common. While most professionally placed veneers fit properly, an ill-fitting veneer can also contribute to bad smells in your mouth. All these situations can be embarrassing to be sure, but they also expose your underlying tooth, adjacent gums, and the rest of the teeth and gums in your mouth to health issues.
If you’re noticing a foul smell near your veneers, contact a dentist to determine the cause and for help solving the underlying issue before your oral health is placed at risk.