If you experience a metallic taste in your mouth, you might blame it on the medications or vitamins you take to stay healthy. Although some medicines and vitamins can make your mouth taste strange, they're not always responsible for it. The metallic taste in your mouth might be due to periodontal disease (gum disease). Here's how periodontal disease changes the taste in your mouth and how you can get rid of both issues.
Why Does Your Mouth Taste Metallic?
Periodontal disease develops when bacteria infect and inflame the soft and hard tissues in your mouth. The disease occurs in multiple stages, including gingivitis. Gingivitis is the mildest and least destructive form of gum disease. Gingivitis can make your gums bleed easily when you brush or touch them. The blood released by your inflamed gums can taste like metal.
Gingivitis can take years to damage the gums, or it can spread quickly. If the infection spreads to the ligaments and bone tissues holding your teeth in place, it can become full blown periodontitis. Periodontitis can cause the gums to bleed on their own. In some cases, the bleeding can be severe.
To prevent periodontitis and tooth loss, it's important to treat your bleeding gums now.
What Can You Do About Your Gums?
If you rinse your mouth with warm salt water, you may be able to cut down the metallic taste in your mouth. Salt helps control or destroy bacteria by making the environment inside your mouth inhospitable to them. Bacteria need an acidic environment to thrive and multiply. Salt makes the tissues in your mouth less acidic.
Next, discard and replace your old toothbrush right away. The germs in your mouth can live on the surfaces of your toothbrush. You introduce new germs into your mouth every time you brush your teeth. Your new toothbrush should have soft bristles. Softer bristles may keep your gums from bleeding too much when you perform oral care.
Lastly, see a dentist for periodontal care or treatment. A dentist will generally clean the surfaces of your teeth and beneath your gums to remove the infection. A provider may also place antibiotics or antimicrobial medications beneath your gums to help them heal faster. The medications destroy bacteria at the source, which may prevent the germs from spreading further.
If you need more information about the metallic taste in your mouth, schedule your dental appointment today, or visit a site like http://www.thefamilydentist-lakeland.com.
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