Belle asked:
I got 2 wisdom teeth pulled on Friday… and i’ve been rinsing with salt water after every meal… but there is a absolutely HORRIBLE taste and smell coming from back there now… and I can’t stand it. I try to stay as far away from people as possible while talking to them, I am SO self-conscious about it… I can’t brush the surgical sites for 7 days… I NEED something to help with the bad breath, it’s the worst!!! What can I do?
Listerine. And you probably have dry socket or an infection.
Have you tried Listerine? It kills bacteria, so even if you can’t brush the surgical sites, it should help kill the bacteria that’s causing the bad smell.
In addition to rinsing with salt water, also try rinsing with regular water as well. Did the dentist make any specific recommendations as to what to do? Maybe if you call his or her office the staff may have some ideas about how to handle this.
Sounds to me like you might have some kind of infection going on, you need to get back to the dentist ASAP. You could have what they call, dry pocket, and an infection has set in. Call the dentist now….
If you’re not in pain its unlikely you have infection.
If you had dry socket or infection you’d know believe me.. extreme pain.
Unfortunately the problem you’re suffering is NORMAL after extraction, especially deeper extractions like wisdom teeth..
i know the horrible taste and small you refer to, its unlike normal bad breath, its much worse.. its caused by bacteria lying in the sockets where teeth were extracted.. obviously u cant brush in there and therefore the bacteria builds up..its a terrible taste and smell..almost like rotting meat I often feel.
It lasts a few days to a week, however your dentist can cleanse this for you and relieve it.
Unpleasant but nothing to worry about
if you have pain that isn’t getting a little better every day,call your dentist,or just go in and have him look at it to make sure everything is ok. if there is no pain and it’s just the odor bothering you,use hydrogen-peroxide for a rinse.take a little sip,swish it very gently around for a minute,and spit it out. don’t rinse with water.do this a couple times during the day and before going to bed and you will see a good change.