A lingering metallic taste in your mouth can be caused by various factors, ranging from medicine to improper tooth brushing habits. Once you’ve figured out why it’s happening, you may usually take a few simple measures to resolve the issue.
Dental Care
Brushing and flossing regularly avoid gingivitis, periodontitis, and tooth infections. All of these circumstances can leave a bad taste in your mouth. Swollen, bright, or dark red colored gums and bleeding gums readily could be signs of poor oral health. Call us anytime if you look for the best dentist Rock Hill, SC has ever seen. You can also have a bad case of bad breath. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, schedule an appointment with your dentist for a professional cleaning and check if you’ll need a prescription to treat any infection.
Colds and Other Infections
Have you been feeling under the weather? Colds or fevers and upper respiratory infections can alter your mouth’s taste. You’ll have symptoms like a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat,
and cough if this is the cause. Rest, drink plenty of water, and, if required, take over-the-counter pain medicines. Once you’re feeling better, the metallic taste should go away.
Medications
Antibiotics, for example, can leave you with a metallic taste. Other things to look for in the medical cabinet are:
- Medications for the heart
- Gout medication
- Lithium and antidepressants are two drugs that are commonly used to treat depression.
Talk to your doctor if the metallic taste concerns you, but don’t stop taking your prescription without their permission.
Vitamins
Your prenatal drugs, vitamins, and calcium supplements could all be blamed. Multivitamins containing copper, zinc, and chromium may have a metallic taste. Cold zinc lozenges are also beneficial. The good news is that the metallic taste should go away soon after taking the pills.
Indigestion
Heartburn, acid reflux, or indigestion can all generate a metallic taste. These conditions cause bloating and a burning sensation in your chest after eating. Avoid fatty foods, eat dinner earlier, and take antacids to cure the underlying problem. See your doctor if you have persistent indigestion, difficulty swallowing, or severe pain. When your indigestion is under control, the taste in your tongue should return to normal.
Pregnancy
It’s not surprising that the taste in your mouth could vary when you’re pregnant. You may develop a metallic taste early on in your pregnancy. It should be a temporary sensation and go away on its own.
Dementia
When you have dementia, things tend to taste different. Taste is controlled by a part of the brain that occasionally stops working correctly. To help increase your appetite, cook with intense or sweet flavors and experiment with different foods and beverages.
Treatment for Cancer
Chemotherapy and radiation might leave you with bitter or metallic sensations that remain in your mouth. When you finish treatment, it usually fades away. In the meanwhile, experiment with
different foods to help disguise the issue. Serve your meals with sour elements like lemon juice, vinegar, or pickles. Strong flavor comes from spices, herbs, and sugars. Increase your intake of frozen or chilled foods. Substitute wood or plastic for metal cutlery.
Exposure to Chemicals
A metallic taste in your mouth can be caused by inhaling excessive levels of mercury or lead. Reducing your exposure to these pollutants is a must. Both children and adults can be poisoned by lead. Lead poisoning can occur in children due to lead-based paints or lead-contaminated dust prevalent in older buildings. Lead may contaminate the air, water, and soil, posing a health risk. Adults who work with batteries or conduct home improvements are at an increased risk of lead poisoning. Industrial sites and broken domestic goods, such as thermometers, can bring mercury into your home. Mercury poisoning can be hazardous to your health in both the long and short term. The first line of therapy is to eliminate the source of contamination (such as lead-based paint). Doctors may also prescribe drugs.
Brain and Nervous System Disorders
A central nervous system (CNS) illness can produce taste distortions or cause things to taste different than they should. Bell’s palsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), and even depression are examples. Consult your doctor if you have one of these illnesses and are experiencing a metallic taste.
Treatment and Prevention of a Metallic Taste in Your Mouth
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for treating or preventing a metallic taste on your tongue. The underlying reason determines the course of your treatment. This unpleasant symptom may walk away in some situations, such as if you stop taking the vitamins or remove the source of lead exposure. However, there are situations when you must use alternative methods:
If you have any infections around your gums or teeth, see your dentist (periodontitis).
Brush your tongue and teeth at least twice a day, and floss once daily for best dental hygiene. This can aid in the prevention of tooth decay and oral infections.
Drink water and chew sugar-free gum to avoid dental infections that leave a metallic taste in your mouth.
Before eating, rinse your mouth with 1 cup of warm water containing 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
- Instead of using metal cookware, try utilizing plastic utensils and glass or ceramic cookware.
- Cook with many herbs and spices or marinate meat in sweet fruit juices or sweet wines.
- Some drugs cause a metallic taste in your mouth. Please make an appointment with your doctor and inform them that you have this adverse effect. Switching to a different medicine might be beneficial. Stopping prescribed medication without first consulting your doctor is not a good idea.
Taking good care of your teeth is the greatest method to prevent an infection from spreading to your dental implant. Even though a dental implant is a false tooth, it must be cared for as if it were a real one. To keep things clean, maintain flossing, brushing, and mouth rinses.
Pay close attention to the area of your gums where the implant meets your gums. While your implant may appear healthy at first, receding gums may produce a space where bacteria can develop.
Brush along the gum line to agitate your gums and remove any bacteria beneath them. Please schedule your appointment with our experts at River District Smiles Dentistry!
