10 Causes of Bad Breath
Reviewed: Dr. Mera
Cause #6: Interdental Food Packing
Interdental food packing refers to the impaction of food between the teeth. This can be seen in missing teeth, spaced, tilted, or crowded teeth, and poorly contoured fillings. It can also be seen in impacted wisdom teeth where food debris gets caught between a growing tooth and the gum flap covering it.
The trapped food debris undergoes bacterial putrefaction and releases malodorous volatiles. Food packing can also lead to a localized periodontal reaction where there is pain relieved by the cleaning of area using a brush or floss.
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