killed gum roots due to trauma??

Question

my aunt has bad breath and she says her horse kicked her in the mouth and killed the roots in her gums which is causing the stank breath...is that even possible....

Answer 1

Sure - very possible. Teeth don't like trauma - the only part of the tooth that is alive is the nerve (or pulp). WHen it dies, bacteria begin to build up inside the tooth. Eventually it will destroy the apex (or tip of the root) and begin destroying the bone around the tooth. When enough pressure builds up, a pimple like sore will show up on the gum tissue near the root of the tooth. It will (hopefully) pop allowing the pressure to escape and the puss flow into the patient's mouth. (yea - I know it's gross, but I couldn't think of a better way to say it).
Bad breath is usually caused by bacteria. In this case, the bacteria inside and around the decaying pulp (nerve) of the damaged tooth is what smells. To reso,ve the issue, the nerve must be removed. In very late stages of this process, the tooth may be too far gone and unsavable. Better to treat as soon as possible to avoid damaging the jaw bone, surrounding teeth, and possibly even a systematic (whole body) infection due to increased bacteria count.

If she does need to remove the tooth, there are great replacements available. We can use a partial denture - which was more pobular in the past or with low income people. Or you could use a bridge with is a fixed in place semi-permemant solution that looks like real teeth!

Happy Thanksgiving - and happy eats!