# Found the source of my odor: Periodontal gum disease



## foreverparanoid (Jan 27, 2019)

So after a year of searching... I finally found the main source. I was dealing with bad perio breath caused by infection and decay under my gums.

I talked with some other dentists online for some information on perio breath and they described it as ranging from a fart to rancid feces. It can become so strong it can be smelled around a person - even if they never open their mouth. It comes out through their breathing. This might explain suspected leaky gas when a person has no major digestive issues?

The smell intensified for me whenever I got stressed out -- I think because when you get anxious you rapidly breathe out so the breath steadily fills the air.

I think if anyone hasn't been to the dentist in a while it's worth checking out. Or if your symptoms are accompanied by bad breath, swollen gums, previous history of gingivitis, discolored gums, loose teeth, or receding gum line.

I'm also considering making an appointment with an ENT doctor to check if I have tonsil stones or a throat infection. But I think the periodontitis was the main cause of the smell.

edit: I've still been looking more into it and tooth abscesses can cause sulfur / rotten egg odors too.


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## Lg2001 (May 20, 2018)

I’ve currently got braces, so I’ve got a dentist appointment every month and my dentist hasn’t said anything about my gums or the smell of my breath. I did recently go to the doctor though to get my tonsils checked out after they were swollen for ages, like almost a month lol.


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## foreverparanoid (Jan 27, 2019)

Has a hygienist checked your gums? I had a dentist appointment before this too, and they even took xrays of my teeth and didn't say anything about it. On the xray pictures it even showed the bone loss from the infection. Meanwhile the assistant walked out of the room and made a comment that she was dying from the odor lol.

As a side note: why do medical professionals when they know a patient smells badly, keep it to themselves? Idk wouldn't that seem like the patient is suffering from some undiagnosed disease? I just don't get it.

Did they take a swab of your tonsils to check for tonsillitis? I'm feeling like I might be one of those unlucky ones that have tonsil stones but they're hidden deep in the crypts. I'm envious of those people with visible ones lol.


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## ibashe (Feb 17, 2019)

i think you are onto something...

Yes in my case i have constant bad breath, deep gum pockets as high as 6 mm, bone loss, metallic taste in mouth and receding gums which bleed when hygienist is cleaning.

What i found strange is that my dentist and hygienist didn't recommend for Periodontist, they basically recommend that i should come for cleaning every 3 months instead of 6 months. I will bypass my dentist and see periodontist for suggestion... will report back soon.

It may not solve my LG but at least it will help for bad breath.


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## foreverparanoid (Jan 27, 2019)

That does sound like it might be periodontitis tbh! The hygientist was telling me anything from 4mm and up is a concern with the pockets, so there may be a buildup in your gums. Do your gums feel kind of heavy too? I never noticed how heavy or full my gums felt until after the cleaning.

When the hygientist was doing the srp deep cleaning on my gums, she kept turning aside to cough... almost like she was about to vomit. So it was definitely causing a very bad odor that reached her through the mask. Another dentist used it to teach a new trainee about the smell of perio and likened it to a very bad fart lol. The irony being I avoided the dentist for so long because of my extreme odor... I never suspected it could be the cause.

Good luck with your appointment and I hope they're able to see you soon!!


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## ibashe (Feb 17, 2019)

I noticed my gums feel different right after cleaning but not sure about heavy. As for coughing, i always get that at the office all the time.

Have you seen Periodontist or just hygientist?

Is your LG better after cleaning?


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## foreverparanoid (Jan 27, 2019)

Everyone who came near me the other day was coughing like crazy too. It's really embarrassing.

The one who did the cleaning was the hygienist. With medical care in America it can cost over $1000 for the same cleaning with a periodontist so I couldn't afford it. Is the cost for seeing a periodontist different in Canada?

At the office they said it should take a couple of days to notice a difference. They also put antibiotics (Arestin) in my gums so I'm not sure if the smell could intensify temporarily from infection die-off? But I've been dealing with the odor for so long I think I'm noseblind to it and for some reason my family can't smell a thing. When I was at work I heard a little kid make a comment on a bad smell so I think it does take a few days for the full effect.

After a week I'm thinking of making another appointment with them to confirm if the odor is gone. From what I can tell today my breath has improved though.


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## ibashe (Feb 17, 2019)

Coughing doesn't necessarily means there is a LG or bad breath... google PATM, basically we are causing allergy reaction (coughing, clearing throat, rubbing nose) and i suspect it's coming from our breath.

Honestly, the coughing doesn't bother me but it's the smell (fart like) that is coming out once in while with no warning or sensation. It makes me paranoid since i don't know when the smell will pop up. I have seen colon rectal surgeon and gastro doctor and all test seem fine.

In Canada, government healthcare doesn't cover periodontist but i'm hopping my work insurance will cover; will find out next week.

Please keep up posted your progress.


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## foreverparanoid (Jan 27, 2019)

I got that smell too! When it first started it would sometimes smell like spoiled roast beef. But mostly it was fecal. When you smell it, do you notice if you've just turned your head slightly, or turned your body quickly? Those were the only times I could smell it.

I used to think it was related to the colon as well but the smell persisted even if I wasn't having any digestive issues. Tried so many diets and there was no change. Even went 2 days without eating anything just drinking water to see if it was food related and still got reactions.

The hygienist said periodontal gum disease can smell like a fart because of all the bacteria & rotting food in the mouth. It's really horrifying knowing the odor from the infection can travel that far, even with the mouth closed it still comes out through the nose.

Were you able to schedule your appointment? I'm hoping it's covered by your insurance too! If not maybe another hygienist would be able to diagnose / deeper cleaning?

Sorry I'm replying back to this thread so late, I wanted to give everything a few days to confirm if people's reactions changed. It's always hard to tell if people are just being polite. I haven't heard any reactions since the day after the cleaning. Coworkers are staying later when working with me (before it was bad enough they would rush to leave as soon as I came in, or take smoke breaks so the cigarette smell covered mine). People are standing next to me for long periods of time without coughing or rubbing their nose. I haven't been brave enough though to test it out at a restaurant yet... but I did pretend I was nervous about stress sweat odor and asked a coworker if she smelled anything bad from me and she said no, that she could only lightly smell perfume.

So far so good. They prescribed this antiseptic mouthwash and I think that's helping the most.


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## foreverparanoid (Jan 27, 2019)

Another week passed and wanted to give another update: Still haven't heard any direct comments about any odors, whereas before there would be at least one per day (and other things like coughing, people rushing to get away from me, coworkers in a rush to leave early, etc.). Went to eat at a restaurant today and didn't notice any coughing, people in a hurry to get the bill, or making comments on losing their appetite; unless they were just being polite? I think there's some improvement though, before this even waiters would make that clearing throat/sniff when getting near me.

At work last week a coworker (that doesn't work in my dept) made a random passing comment about a "hoarder" after walking from my dept but I didn't hear anything he said before this, so idk if he was talking about me. But I'm imagining he was either meaning a bad lingering odor or, I do work in a general store, hopefully he was talking about a customer buying a cart full of newspapers or something.

Coming up I'll have a follow-up dentist appointment and a blood test for my liver's health. Dentists always reacted the strongest of all the medical personnel I've seen; so it must be coming from my breath somehow. Patients with liver disease and scarring (like cirrhosis) are said to have pungent fecal breath too so it'll be good to get that checked out too.

If the odor is still there and they find it's coming from another source, I'll be sure to update with their findings.


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## foreverparano1d (Mar 18, 2019)

Back with another update... forgot my old pw so new account...

The fecal breath is back or maybe I was fooling myself that it left in the first place. I'm 100% sure it's coming from my breath. I wonder if I need another course of antibiotics in my gums or another cleaning, or maybe I have an impacted wisdom tooth (they are growing in so maybe food and bacteria are getting trapped?).

I went to an express care clinic after noticing white tissue and yellow discharge on my tonsils. Was looking for tonsil stones, but the things that came out looked more like an infection. So they took a swab to check if it was strep or tonsillitis.

I hear the nurses outside talking about my odor and telling each other to put vicks under their nose, coughing, etc... depressing.

They were 100% honest with me in saying the odor was coming from my mouth though. All the other doctors lied to me I guess to spare my feelings saying they couldn't smell anything. I think that's the only upside that they confirmed where the smell is coming from.

They give me a prescription mouthwash again and a prescription for nasal spray thinking I have allergies and post nasal drip.

I go home and mouthwash the hell out of my mouth before going out to pick up my prescription at the pharmacy. I'm the only customer in there and one of the employees kept pushing the button that prompted "Customer needs assistance in the deodorant aisle" that was heard through the whole store so today just sucks so bad.

I have a dentist appointment next week and it feels like agony waiting for this appointment. I have to go to work in the meantime knowing people think I don't shower and just smell like ######. *Edit:* Just a few minutes ago I made an appointment with an ENT doctor too, they'll see me in 2 days to confirm if it's tonsil stones... and I feel like it's going to cost me so much money but at this point I have zero quality of life. My work is scheduling me only when they absolutely have to, I guess because the odor is so bad. They don't want to deal with it. So I can't get another job or make more money until I get this whole mess sorted. I'm praying both the ENT and dentist will give me answers and a permanent solution. I don't know how much more of this I can take.

I'm just so tired of having this issue. My family can't smell it, I really don't understand how that's possible. I just want everything to go back to normal. People are so cruel.


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## hopefulperson (Aug 26, 2018)

Why dont you get some sort of scan of your head, a ct or xray, one or the other should show any forms of infection or anything of the sort. It seems very odd that youre having such potent odors come from your mouth still with such intensive cleaning measures. I guess the same could be said for all of us with the shit smell originating from our anus's.What would be your reasoning behind the smell still occuring while using everything possible to combat this exact location of your body? Why do you insist on getting so many cleanings, do you get some sort of benefit from doing them, is it a placebo affect, whats your reasoning for all this.


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## foreverparano1d (Mar 18, 2019)

Another update. I think I've finally found it this time. Fingers crossed this is it. I've refrained from coming back here to update for a really long time to see if the reactions were really coming to an end.

*[Quick summary]*

*My causes:* periodontal gum disease, some tonsil stones, and food and bacteria accumulation under impacted wisdom teeth -- all concentrated in the mouth and throat, so the fecal smell was leaking out through my nose as I breathed, and even worse if I spoke/yawn/etc. But without speaking or eating the odor continued, so it was confirmed coming out through nasal air.

After getting my wisdom teeth out some food was trapped in the empty pockets. After getting the food out it smelled strongly of feces -- and this had only been in that area for 3 days, so imagine having a month's or a year's worth of food and bacteria stuck under there. Because it was near the throat and nasal area, the bacterial odor came out through my nose as I breathed normally. The whole area smelled strongly of feces after the food was dislodged (could smell after lightly dabbing area with q-tip) until it was washed out with salty water.

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After getting the deep cleaning the reactions lessened a lot, but still got comments about a fecal smell. I poked and prodded at my tonsils and found some hidden tonsil stones in there -- flushed them out with a waterpik with some salty water and the odor from the tonsils has lessened a ton. The odor was still there at times but way less intense than before and less "eggy".

Finally got my impacted wisdom teeth out. These teeth were partially buried under the gum and sideways. Lots of food and bacteria kept getting trapped under them, and because most of it was under the gums -- it was impossible to clean. Even with a waterpik the bacteria couldn't get flushed out.

After getting those out they told me not to brush the area or rinse. It was hard to open my mouth for a couple of days so it couldn't really get clean anyways. Stuck to salt water rinses but food still accumulated in the empty pockets. When it was finally safe to clean out the pockets I dabbed at it a little with a q-tip and oh my god -- I can't even describe how horrible the smell was. From only a few days worth of food accumulation back there it smelled EXACTLY like the fecal odor I could occasionally smell on myself.

So I think those were my main problems and the impacted wisdom teeth were the last bits of the puzzle needed to be removed. I was really doubtful at first that they could be it, because I'd floss and wouldn't smell anything bad on the floss back there. But the bacteria was so buried beneath the gum that the floss couldn't reach it. Or maybe because the odor was there so long I got used to it -- and it got cleaned out and returned, so my sense of smell was reset? Idk but once those teeth were yanked my general sense of smell returned, so it had to be connected.

If anyone thinks there's a connection between their breathing and the leaky gas odor -- it could be connected to the mouth and throat, rather than a diet or gut issue. Especially with no digestive symptoms or pain.


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## Daniel-J (Mar 10, 2020)

I've had this kind of trouble. Now I use a special device to clean my mouth and teeth. Fortunately, if you do it every day, these problems can be avoided. It was horrible when this disease started in me, I was very squeamish and I was panicking.


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## clearsky001 (Feb 18, 2020)

This is interesting. I have had people comment on my breath a lot. my mom used to always ask if i brushed my teeth when she would give me rides to school, i got the impression she asked because my breath smelled. That makes me sound paranoid, i know. Of course being who she was she would never be direct about anything embarrassing or important so its hard to say. I know I have tonsil stones for sure though because i just coughed one up yesterday. I occasionally smell the tonsil stone smell when i walk into a new room or even go outside and get a whiff of fresh air so it has been on my mind lately that i need to do more about it. Maybe its one of the main causes of my body odor too?

My gums get inflamed sometimes and are definitely receding. i have been trying to floss more and use mouthwash but maybe i actually need to see a specialist. that is terrible news because im broke. and maybe i dont need to see a specialist and they will think im crazy. ugh. Thanks for sharing though im gonna follow this up more seriously now.


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