Bad Breath Halitosis Forum

Hi everyone, I joined this site as a last effort ditch. I had a nervous breakdown today and I've been crying the whole day, I feel like I need to talk to someone about this or else I will lose my mind and maybe someone with similar story as me can offer some insight.

I'm 21yo female. 3 and half years ago I developed BB out of the blue, I was sitting in the subway and I literally smelled shit, I thought it was something else so I paid no attention until I noticed it's coming from me. This smell was coming from my nose even if I kept my mouth shut, so initially I thought it was nose related, I've done every test possible to check for any nose related problems, went to every specialist/private doctors, there's nothing wrong with my nasal passages. I don't have Post Nasal Drip, no polyps, no crust, nothing.

As far as my teeth, I don't know if this might be related but my BB started half a year after I had taken my braces off(didn't have any BB during the time I had braces) after I took the braces off I got a wire for the back of my front teeth which I still have 3 yrs later. I also have currently a filling on one tooth other than that I don't have any cavities, crowns or anything wrong with my teeth.
Which brings me to the subject of wisdom teeth, I read Cured's story about wisdom teeth causing my BB and our stories were SO SIMILAR, specially that cheesy/fart smelling odor which could be detected from very far away. Also I noticed my BB started around the age when my wisdom teeth started to erupt and I found that too coincidental. So I looked at my teeth and there's gum flap over my teeth so I pushed it aside with QTIP and started brusing that area with an electric toothbrush, what happened next shocked me, my gums started to bleed sooooooooo bad, same thing with every wisdom tooth, I continued the brushing and used corsodyl and slowly it started to heal.It seems the area is tender and sore all the time so I booked an appointment with my dentist.
I was so sure this was my problem since everything seems to fit, the dentist said my wisdom teeth have erupted, they are not impacted and she sees nothing wrong. So my question is, is it possible for wisdom teeth to cause BB if they're not impacted and aren't half erupted? It just seems like this problem has to originate from the mouth, and I see nothing else wrong with my mouth.

Wow, this became very long but I really hope you guys read it and help me, this is really bringing me down. I've endured this for 3 yrs and I've been so strong and didn't let it affect me too much but after the dentist visit, I just had a full breakdown, I couldn't even hold back the tears until I got home and was bawling my eyes out in the street. I'm at this point ready to just give up on life, I got into REALLY good university which I was so excited to start and hardly even been there because I've developed social anxiety and can't pay attention in lectures, I even avoid all my friends who want to meet making excuses up, that I'm sick or busy with work. I just needed to vent all of this, since I don't talk to this with anyone! Please reply with any suggestions.

Oh and I forgot to add, over the years I've become immune to the smell so I can't smell it myself anymore but I've noticed it comes in strong when I chew food/swallow. Which made me think once again it's wisdom teeth related.

Also I was told Im H pylori positive which I took three times the antibiotics cocktail, the answer is still out on the latest test, but since I don't have stomach problems anymore I think it's been eradicated this time.

Wow. I remember years ago when I rang my doctor and was told my H pylori result was negative, I had a similar breakdown. I know what you are going through and I'm sure that just about everyone else on here does too. People who have never had to endure life with BB have no idea of the despair and the torture we go through. Its not just a smell, its a monster in our minds.

The important thing while trying to solve this is to have an open mind with plenty of ideas going on at the same time, rather than putting all your hope into one thing. In doing so your mind will be clearer and more capable of focusing and treating it like any other problem, rather than in total desperation. The blow you feel at the moment is the feeling of hopelessness, which is completely understandable when you cant see any light at the end of the tunnel, because at the moment this is precisely how you see things.

Just a couple of things to say though, regarding what you've said. Firstly, even though your gastro symptoms may have abated, you still need to ensure that your treatment has actually eradicated the h pylori. The antibody test wont tell you this at this stage, you'll need the breath test or a gastroscopy. But getting your doctor to do this may be difficult. My doctor gave in when I said I still had gastric problems, he agreed to refer me for an endoscopy.

Regarding your wisdom teeth, does it smell if you rub your finger around them? The roots of the upper wisdom teeth and second molars can invade the sinuses and initiate problems in there which can lead to odours. Did your dentist carry out an xray? I have spoken with 'cured' quite extensively on this subject and I am convinced this is what happened with him, which is why it took him so long after his extractions for the situation inside his sinuses to revert back to normal.

Thank you for answering!

Yea, I've passed my depressed stage I've actually taken out a pen and notebook and going to list out all the possible factors.

About the h pylori, when my last antibiotic course didn't work i was sent to do a gastrocopy, doctor said i have acid reflux but I doubt this fecal smell is coming from acid in the stomach, doesn't that smell more vomit-y?

When I rub my fingers around my wisdom teeth I can't smell anything on the finger much but I noticed after I poked around there I could get a faint whiff of that dreadful smell. Why do you think this only comes when there's some contact with my teeth eg. when i chew, (especially things like popcorn that don't require much swallowing)

The dentist took an XRAY of my teeth which she said looked fine to her, but honestly it looked like she was just rushing me out. I'm supposed to get in the mail so I'll post it as soon as I can!

I'm pleased to see you are feeling more positive.

Acid reflux can lead to changes in oral pH which can affect the ecology in your mouth and lead to BB.

If you read through "cured's" wisdom tooth thread, I'm sure he says something similar to what you've described, regarding chewing and the relase of his dreadful whiff.

Dont trust what your dentist tells you. I lost count of how many dentists I saw over the years, explaining to them that I had a problem with BB, and not a single one of them pointed to the situation with one of my wisdom teeth at the rear of my mouth and the potential for this to be producing the stench that was coming from it.

I my early 20s one dentist told me I needed to have my wisdoms out. He immediately took out the top set, but said the bottom set needed doing in hospital. It wasnt until almost 25 years later that I realised one of these teeth was constantly releasing a very foul discharge, and eventually had it extracted.

I strongly advise you to also get the opinion of other dentists.

OK so today I think I might have found something which may have been causing my BB. I have a bonded lingual brace in the back of my front teeth(covers 6 teeth in the middle) and I was searching the net of the possibility of it causing my BB because it started around the same time I had this brace bonded onto my teeth.

During the four years I had this wire I would just brush the area and that would be it, I really didn't know how I would floss above the wire so I just never did. Well big mistake, I had the wire taken out today and when the two nurses ripped it off and started cleaning the area I smelled a STRONG smell that lasted like 20 seconds and I swear I thought the dentist or the nurse farted or had BB themselves but that's wasn't it (since they were wearing masks and I doubt they would fart)that's when it occured to me, it was me. Since I haven't been able to smell my BB in years, to be able to smell it this strong made me think this might be the problem area.

I came home, carefully brushed my entire teeth with electric toothbrush and started flossing. The area where the wire was started to bleed very heavily, so I suspect I have gum disease from lack of proper flossing and that's what caused my BB. I'm gonna wait till this clears out and if I still have the BB I'm gonna check back into my wisdom teeth.

Coming back to the wisdom teeth, the dentist who said my teeth were fine, flat out refused to extract them and this was private dentist where I PAY THEM, she said she rarely sees wisdom teeth that grow in this aligned and not crowded.. and that pulling it would be idiotic. She said she'd even put my XRAY image in dentistry books as an example :/ I dunno, she poked around the gums surrounding the wisdo teeth and said I don't even have gum disease. Could there be something else she's missing?