And the really bad news was that this was not only in
the chipped tooth but also in its partner on the opposite side. He told me that the smell was appalling and expressed
amazement that my face was not hugely swollen. Glumly I accepted his advice that both
teeth should be removed and that I needed a course of antibiotics.
Several
uncomfortable visits later and hundreds of pounds poorer, the work was completed. I had as a souvenir one disgusting looking tooth (the
other disintegrated as it was being heaved out), but was relieved to be rid of the vile
things.
Over the next few
months I began to realise that it was not only the teeth and the infected gums that
had gone. I was no longer troubled by the acute intermittent skin rashes which had plagued
me for years and my husband informed me that my breath no longer smelled like cow pats. I
came to the conclusion that my gum infection was not of recent origin but that, in all
probability, it was very long standing.
When the symptoms started
 I first visited my GP at least eight years ago
with itchy skin rashes, which kept me awake at night. Nothing appeared to cure them
although some creams did ameliorate the itching. I was about to accept the GP’s
suggestion that he prescribe steroids the next time the rash appeared. There was no
discernible pattern that I could ascertain, although I had realised that I should never
drink red wine if I had even the merest suggestion of a rash, as my skin would react
immediately and burn as if it was on fire.
As a last resort
I visited a naturopath who told me that the rash was caused by eating cheese and
chocolate. I was told to avoid them both, take vitamin C and drink lots of water. This seemed to help and I was reluctant to take steroids
so mostly I avoided the banned foods and when the rash returned I attributed it to lapses
in my diet.
I do not remember
when it was that my husband first informed me that my mouth smelled like a sewer. I do
know that I asked both my dentist and doctor about it.
The dentist said,
“Oh, people always think that bad breath is caused by the teeth and it seldom
is.” The GP said I should take care with my dental hygiene and use a mouthwash.
My husband continued to complain and I concluded that perhaps halitosis was simply
something that came with age and I should avoid breathing on people and chew lots of sugar
free gum.
Where the problems can show up
I read recently
that there is a growing body of evidence showing that gum infections can cause
problems, not just in the mouth, but also elsewhere in the body. Several studies have now
linked gum disease to an increased risk of heart disease as well as a raised risk of
inflammatory lung conditions.
When I returned
to England, I visited my dentist and suggested
that they had been negligent in my treatment. Had
they taken my query about halitosis seriously and x-rayed
my teeth, they would have found the cracked teeth and infected gums some time ago.
My dentist could
not remember my query and there was no note of it. He said that the NHS discourages
overuse of X-rays unless there is an indication that something is wrong. However he did
agree that there seemed to have been some failure in their systems, and that there were
indications of gingivitis. My teeth were not in the
perfect condition which his colleague, who is no longer working for the practice, said
they were.
He passed my
complaint on to an independent clinical assessor who said that while the screening
examination did not detect significant peridontal problems, it would have been wise to
undertake a full pocket chart “given the presence of subgingival scale.”
My dentist says
that the screening may have been carried out correctly and the “pocket” was
not present, or that the screen was not fully carried out and the “pocket”
remained undetected. I suspect the latter but, given
the passage of time, and in the absence of the dentist who carried out the examinations, I
will never know for certain.
You have to be persistent
But there are some lessons to be learned.
Dentists should not accept the patient’s statement that they have no problems with
their teeth or gums as some, like mine, produce no obvious symptoms. They should also take
seriously indications of halitosis. If patients have
a persistent problem, as I did, they should be prepared to be a nuisance by persisting
with their queries.
I would love to
ascertain for how long my gums were infected and pus was poisoning my system and I do
wonder if I am likely to suffer any long- term ill effects.
For the moment, I am fine, relieved to know that the problem is solved. I’m just passing the story on in case you ever find
yourself in a similar situation.
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Olive Braman tells a cautionary tale about bad breath 
