What causes a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth? Dental, medication and health causes

• Gum inflammation and bleeding: gums that bleed when you brush, or on their own, leave a metallic taste like blood. See how to treat gum inflammation.
• Tooth or gum infection: an abscess or fistula can cause a bitter, unpleasant taste. See a pimple on the gum.
• Poor mouth and tongue hygiene: a coating on the tongue changes how things taste. See white tongue.
• Dry mouth: with less saliva, tastes seem sharper and less pleasant. See causes of dry mouth.
• Metal fillings and crowns: a new amalgam filling, or different metals touching in the mouth, can cause a brief metallic taste and a slight electric-shock feeling. See should amalgam fillings be removed?

Medicines are one of the most common causes of taste changes. Some antibiotics (especially metronidazole and clarithromycin), some blood pressure medicines, diabetes medicines, lithium, chemotherapy drugs, and iron, zinc and multivitamin supplements can cause a metallic or bitter taste. The taste usually returns to normal when the course ends.

Don't stop a medicine that changes your taste without advice; your doctor may adjust the dose or switch it. We cover mouth care during chemotherapy in dental care during chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

• Pregnancy: a metallic taste is common, especially in the first three months, and usually passes by itself. See dental treatment in pregnancy.
• Sinusitis, colds and flu: a blocked nose and post-nasal drip change taste and smell. See can sinusitis cause toothache?
• Reflux: stomach contents coming up into the oesophagus cause a bitter or sour taste, especially in the morning.
• Taste changes after viral infections: after some infections, taste and smell can seem different for weeks.
• Pine nuts: some people get a bitter, metallic taste starting 1–3 days after eating pine nuts and lasting from a few days to two weeks; it's harmless.
• Less common causes: vitamin B12 or zinc deficiency, poorly controlled diabetes, kidney or liver disease and, rarely, chemical exposure.

• Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, use floss and clean your tongue.
• Drink plenty of water; sugar-free gum can ease the taste by increasing saliva.
• If you've started a new medicine or supplement, talk to your doctor.
• If you have reflux symptoms, avoid heavy meals late in the evening and see your GP.
• If metal cutlery makes it worse, use plastic or wooden cutlery for a while.

If you also have bleeding gums, toothache, swelling in the mouth or bad breath, see a dentist first. If the change lasts more than two weeks, or comes with weight loss, tiredness, passing urine often, or yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes, see your GP. We cover the causes of bad breath separately in bad breath.

At Dent32, when patients come in with a change in taste we check gum health, fillings and crowns, sources of infection and dry mouth; if there is no dental cause, we refer you to your GP.

Dent32 is at Barış Mah., Ginza Lavinya, E-5 Yanyolu No:30 D:179, 34520 Beylikdüzü, Istanbul and is open seven days a week. To book, call or WhatsApp +90 555 011 33 68, or use our contact page. At the examination we share the findings, the options and the approximate cost in writing; you are under no obligation to start treatment afterwards.