What causes a bad taste in your mouth?

What causes a bad taste in your mouth?

Are you experiencing an unusual bad taste in your mouth? The bad taste can be due to a variety of factors, however, if the issue persists you should book an appointment with your local dentist. To understand your experience, this article will explore the causes and treatments of a bad taste in your mouth, and how you can prevent it.

Causes 

The cause of bad taste can be due to a multitude of factors! From poor oral hygiene, medications, dry-mouth, tooth decay, to even infections! 

Dental Hygiene 

Poor dental hygiene such as poor brushing technique, not brushing the tongue, or lack of frequency in brushing can result with a build-up of plaque and calculus. It’s most important to make sure we are brushing our teeth, gums, and tongue properly to clean away and left over food or plaque that’s built-up over time. When plaque hardens, it turns into calculus and it’s much harder for you to brush it away at home! We often recommend a dental clean every 6-12 months, depending on how well you keep your teeth clean. See your dentist today for the best advice suited to you. 

Medication

Some medications have side effects, one of which is dry-mouth. The medications can affect how much saliva you’re producing and the quality of it. Imagine after eating your saliva can’t wash away the food you’ve just eaten and it’s now just sitting in between and on your teeth! Saliva has a really important role in cleansing the mouth, has healing properties if you’ve accidentally cut or burnt the inside of your mouth, and it has really good buffering actions when you may have eaten one too many sugary snacks! If you experience dry-mouth because of your medications it’s very important for you to make sure to drink plenty of water, properly brush and clean your teeth, and regularly see your dentist. There are also over-the-counter gels, rinses, or sprays to help alleviate the discomfort of dry mouth. 

Tooth decay and dental infections

These are often caused by different types of bacteria. If you have tooth decay, also known as a cavity, we recommend you see your dentist straight away to clean it out and place a filling in there to protect the tooth and the nerve inside! Tooth decay can eventually lead to unbearable toothaches if left untreated. Dental infections may be caused by a multitude of factors, and best you consult your dentist for treatment as you may require extensive dental work and possibly a prescription of antibiotics!

Treatment

To diagnose and treat bad taste it is recommended to discuss with your local dentist, such as Redbank Plains Dental. Your dentist will examine your gums, and provide a general mouth and teeth cleaning to solve the problem. Here are our general dental hygiene tips to ensure the bad taste stays away. 

• Floss regularly 
• Have your teeth scaled twice a year
• Proper and regular teeth brushing 

If the bad taste occurs regularly, do not ignore the problem, speak with your local dentist to determine the cause. 

You can discuss your options with your local Brookwater dentist and book an appointment today.