Does your mouth seem to taste funny even after you’ve brushed your teeth? Eating sour or spicy foods can cause a pungent flavor in your mouth. But if you have it all the time, no matter what you eat, you may have a problem. Dysgeusia is a condition that causes a person’s sense of taste to be altered. Regardless of what it is, everything may have a metallic, bitter, salty or rancid tang to it. Keep reading to learn what causes dysgeusia and what you can do to put a stop to it.
Poor Oral Health
One of the most common causes of dysgeusia is poor dental hygiene. A buildup of bacteria on your tongue can alter the flavors of foods and drinks. Gum disease, oral thrush, dental infection and abscesses can also affect your tastebuds. If you believe any of these are the reason for this issue, you should contact your emergency dentist right away. Brushing twice a day, flossing at least once a day and visiting your dentist on a regular basis can help reverse this condition. But if all of these steps are part of your regular dental care routine and the bitterness persists, your dentist can help you find the underlying cause and correct it.
Medications and Dietary Supplements
Medications you may take for diabetes, auto-immune diseases, heart problems and antibiotics can alter your tastebuds, leaving you with a bitter or metallic taste. Dietary supplements like calcium, iron, vitamin D, multivitamins and prenatal vitamins can also create a bitter flavor in your mouth, especially if taken in large amounts. Luckily, when you stop taking the supplements or your antibiotic treatment, this problem should go away.
Nerve Damage
Your brain processes the flavors that come across your tongue. Nerve damage and other issues like brain tumors, epilepsy and head trauma can also cause your sense of taste to change. The medications that are often used to treat these issues can contribute to the problem as well.
Stress and Anxiety
When you become particularly stressed or anxious, it can cause chemical reactions within the body that can alter the taste in your mouth. Anxiety can also cause you to develop xerostomia, also known as dry mouth, which can cause foods to seem metallic or bland. It can also make swallowing difficult.
Gastrointestinal Issues
If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux, the bile from your stomach that rises into your esophagus can cause foods and drinks to have a foul or bitter taste as well. Bile is created by your liver and helps your stomach digest foods, medications or beverages you consume. Acid reflux can also lead to heartburn, nausea and hoarseness. Luckily, that are many over-the-counter or prescription medications that can help to reduce these issues or eliminate them completely. You can also avoid these issues by steering clear of acidic foods, eating smaller meals and having a healthy weight.
If you have a constant bitter flavor in your mouth that is not the result of something you’ve eaten, scheduling a visit to your dentist is the first step in correcting it. Once your dentist finds the underlying issue, they can treat it and restore your natural sense of taste.
About the Practice
At Leading Edge Dentistry, Dr. Dimple Patel is proud to offer every patient who enters the door a personalized, comprehensive dental care experience. Using the latest techniques and technology in dentistry, Leading Edge Dentistry is committed to helping you achieve your healthiest smile. She offers a wide range of treatments including preventive care, gum disease treatment, sedation dentistry and more. If you have a strange taste in your mouth that you can’t get rid of, contact the office at (770) 425-2001 or visit the website to schedule your appointment today.