Often enough, you wouldn’t see a bitter taste in your mouth as a big deal. You could just chalk it up to something you ate (or drank) and rinse it out with water or mouthwash. But what if the bitter taste sticks around and won’t go away? Things get serious in that scenario, so you’ll want to hear the suggested solutions from your Houston dentist. Just keep reading to learn about bitter mouth tastes, their causes, and how best to treat them.
A Bitter Taste’s Traits
Also known as dysgeusia, a bitter and persistent mouth taste is marked by three things. These are the following:
- A Rancid & Bitter Flavor – The average patient describes the taste as bitter, rancid, and even metallic.
- No Home Remedies – Dysgeusia isn’t usually treatable at home, as standard remedies like brushing one’s teeth don’t work.
- An Extended Duration – Unlike other bad tastes, dysgeusia tends to last a long time.
Given the traits above, it’s no wonder that dysgeusia is highly distracting and disruptive of daily life.
What Causes a Bitter Taste?
Most cases of dysgeusia are harmless, but some stem from harsh oral issues. Examples of the latter include:
Lack of Saliva
Dysgeusia can sometimes occur when your mouth dries out. Since saliva keeps your smile clean, lacking it lets harmful bacteria gather, grow, and multiply on your tongue. It wouldn’t be odd for someone to experience a dry mouth, either; common factors like medication, smoking, and aging can cause it.
Bad Oral Care
If you don’t practice good oral hygiene, your mouth may develop a stubbornly bitter taste. That’s only natural when foul-tasting plaque builds up as you neglect your brushing and flossing. Worse yet, this bacterial film does more than cause bad tastes; it also makes cavities and gum disease more likely.
Burning Mouth Syndrome
Occasionally, a bitter mouth taste stems from burning mouth syndrome. The latter can cause “bad tastes” on top of its more typical symptom – a burning oral sensation. Indeed, it’s possible to sense something bad in your mouth even as your oral cavity feels pain.
How to Treat a Bitter Taste
You should ultimately see a dentist to treat your persistent bitter taste. After all, they have the resources and skills to fix your problem without side effects.
Several procedures could “solve” a bitter mouth taste. For instance, a dentist might prescribe a special mouthwash that stimulates your mouth’s saliva flow. There’s also the method of providing you with a dental crown or filling, thus ensuring foul-tasting bacteria doesn’t reach your mouth.
It may seem like a mystery now, but whatever’s causing the bitter taste in your mouth is treatable. Just see your dental provider for the help you need!
About the Practice
Smiles of Memorial Dentistry is based in Houston, TX. Led by Dr. “Vince” Tran, our practice makes warm, personalized, and outstanding dental care the highest priority. We thus offer a wide range of treatments tailored to your smile, from dental checkups to dental implant surgery. Whatever need your grin has, you can trust our team to resolve it for you! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (281)-493-0061.