Why is There a Bitter Taste in Your Mouth?

You’ve likely experienced a bad taste in your mouth sometimes. Often enough, the cause is harmless— spicy or sour food, black coffee, etc. However, this bitterness can be concerning if it’s constant. Should that happen, you may have an oral issue that needs urgent treatment. As for why that’s the case, your Odessa dentist is here to tell you. Read on, then, to learn what a bitter taste in your mouth means and why to get dental care for it.

What Counts as “Bad Taste,” Exactly?

To be specific, a persistent bad taste in the mouth is called dysgeusia. It generally features symptoms like the following:

• Bitter Flavor: Sufferers describe the taste as alternately salty, metallic, or stinky.
• Long Duration: Dysgeusia can last throughout the day, regardless of what you eat.
• Resistance to Oral Hygiene: One of the biggest signs that a bitter taste is chronic is if it lingers after you brush your teeth.

What Might it Mean?

On occasion, a chronic bad taste is a sign you have an oral health problem. Such issues might include:

Dry Mouth

A dry mouth occurs when your oral cavity doesn’t produce enough saliva. Factors like medications, tobacco use, or open-mouth breathing can cause it.

Saliva washes out harmful oral bacteria, so a dry mouth can cause a growth in foul-tasting microbes. The condition also raises your risk of tooth decay and mouth sores.

Bad Oral Care

If you don’t take care of your smile, you can develop a bitter taste in your mouth. This fact stems from what happens to unclean teeth and gums.

Plaque slowly builds up when you skip habits like brushing, flossing, and mouthwash. In doing so, your mouth can start to sense a sour taste. Furthermore, this buildup can lead to cavities, gum disease, and other issues.

Why Should You See a Dentist?

If you have a constant bad taste in your mouth, it’s best to see a dentist for care. They can diagnose the sensation’s cause and prescribe or perform a treatment.

For example, consider dry mouth. If such dryness is causing your bad taste, the dentist might suggest special mouthwashes that stimulate saliva flow. They can also recommend home practices to moisten your oral cavity.

Meanwhile, bad oral care is easily fixable. By giving you teeth cleaning, a dental team can remove the offending flavor! They could even send you away with a tongue scraper to prevent a relapse.

As you can see, it’s a good idea to check the cause of a persistent bad taste. Therefore, visit your dentist for a proper assessment.

About the Practice

Boyles General Dentistry is based in Odessa, TX. Led by Drs. Franklin and Steven Boyle, our practice strives for personalized dental care. To that end, we offer custom-made preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments for each patient. Our office further ensures quality results by using the latest in dental technology. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (432)-366-0896.