I'm in the process of having my teeth capped. About two weeks ago after a visit with many injections for working on 12 of my lower teeth when it all wore off the left side of my tongue remained tingly and burning and my mouth tastes of salt all the time. No matter what I do I cannot get the taste of salt out of my mouth. This makes everything I eat or drink taste so awful. The dentist says he has never heard of this saltiness taste the I have and I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience. I've stopped the work on putting in the permanents on top because I'm afraid of what more needles will do and don't know if the salty taste is coming from the numbness of the tongue or if I'm having a reaction to the cement. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Damage to the chorda tympani component of the lingual nerve can lead to altered taste. Like other nerve injuries, this usually does improve over the course of a few weeks. Some of these injuries are longer lasting, and some are permanent. Odds are that it is temporary and will recover.

Not a bad idea to stop injections in the same region for a period of time to avoid irritating the injury while it is in the healing phase.

Hope that helps.

Ross

I had the same experience of a very salty taste in the back of my throat after a dentist appointment. I had a cavity filled (upper molar). I did not experience the salty taste until about 9 hours after the appointment. Thankfully, it only lasted a few hours. I hope this improves for you!

Catherine -

This may seem odd, but i have had exactly the same experience recently. My dentist had given me a "you're nuts" look when I told him. I am having my two back bottom right molars crowned at the same time. After experiencing pain during the grind down of both after the first round of novacaine, he hit me with another series of shots.

Sometime during those last few sticks I felt a tremendous flush of heat and a sudden tinge of pain radiate down the center and right side of my tongue. I knew something was different, but I didn't recognize what until the numbness in my face wore off, while a numb-like feeling remained in my tongue.

Here's what we have in common:

1) I have a numbness radiating in the right-side of my tongue.
2) Everything I eat has a tremendous salty taste, almost directly derived on the right-side. I even seem to taste it from my lips?

I thought I was crazy, or suffering from some weird malady. Thanks for your post.

It's been 2 weeks since the first sticks, and I have had work performed a week later for further prep of the crowns. while I still have some residual numbness, it is diminishing. However, the saltiness seems to remain. If I had to make a guess, soem neural remapping has occured from damage to the nerve.

I have some experience in this area fortunately, as my previous training was in biochemistry and human physiology in college. I feel strongly that given some time, our brains will re-learn to map the incoming signals that have been cross-mapped to reflect the salt-sensation.

God Bless, Jeff Antonson
jeff.antonson@catavo.com

Dear Catherine,

You are not crazy. I have lived with BMS and this extreme salty taste for nearly a year. The skin in my mouth burns and actually exfoliates several times a day. All the doctores think I'm crazy too. I was having routine crown work done on several teeth and had one injection that caused me pain for weeks. I do believe this caused nerve damage and damage to the taste buds as well. I wish you well. You are not alone.

Chris

To all:
I had prep work done for a cap on a lower left molar in June 2004 and I still have numbness on thst gum and half of my tongue. It has not gone away. I have not heard of this before. I have talked to everybody I know and not!
My dentist told me he checked with the vender of stuff he used to put my mouth to sleep and they confirmed to him that they have had reports of thses symptoms. It was mepercaine and ardocaine as I recall.
I do not have the salty symptom but all food tastes bad on the right side of my mouth.

3 months and counting....

I have just found this forum /thread, after searching the internet for a solution to the same proble.
I had a crown fitted in April, the first I've had, and ever since have experienced a reduced taste sensation and sore,tingly tongue.
In the past few weeks this has eased off, to be replaced to an extreme salty taste in my mouth, nearly all the time.
On occasions it is so strong it makes me gag.
Cleaning my teeth, gums, and flossing , and using mouth wash makes no difference at all.
It seems to get even stronger just after I've eaten, and my taste including anything sweet now seems mostly salty.
Any help would be appreciated.

Carole

Carole,

Sometimes, a dental injection can injure the nerves in your mouth. It sounds like your lingual nerve was involved. This is the nerve for your tongue. Usually this type of injury is temporary, but it can take weeks/months to heal. The tingling tongue and reduced taste sensations are a sign there is some nerve injury. The salty taste is also a part of what happens as your nerve heals. These are good signs your nerve is healing.

"T"

I did not have dental work done. However for over a year now, one of my right top front tooth has a strong salty taste emanating from it. It and the tooth next to it are gradually becoming loose too. When I asked my dentist about it, he had never heard of such a thing either.

Jen

I have had a salty taste in my mouth and lips for over a week and there is no apparent reason for it and I wish someone has heard of it.

Ive had dental work in multiple areas of my mouth. I have salty taste in my mouth for at least a week. The dental work was done a month ago but i had my front teeth worked on, he drove two needles into my mouth. after a few weeks i developed this salty taste. my tounge doesnt hurt nor do i have any numbness. I do however have gingervitous (sp) from the meds i take. I thought it was from the blood from my gums but it sounds like something else. Does anyone have a clue? Should i go back to my dentist again to ask whats wrong?

This definitely sounds like an inferior dental block
with Articaine. Ask your dentist what anesthetic he used.
Lidocaine is the safest. Refuse articaine for lower blocks
in the future, and know that the problem will be gone in about
1 years time. Do go getting any ideas, articaine is an excellent
drug. I use it myself, but only for infiltrations.

Phil, DMD

Hello

I have a very salty taste in my mouth but no numbness. I have had heaps of dental work lots of crowns and have two plates. I think the Dentist gave me too much anesthetic as my mouth was numb for hours. When I had the last crown I did not have an anesthetic. I thought it might be the plate at first but the dental technician said not. Reading these messages I am going to ask my Dentist what type of anesthetic she used. I have seen so many reasons for this taste and some of them are scary. I have had so many needles over the years so wonder if there is some nerve damage. It gets depressing.
How are people going with this problem.

Has your dentist ruled out peridontal disease? (I would hope if you are having crowns). There can be a lot of non dental reasons for changes in taste and/or smell also. Hormonal changes, medications, allergies, systemic conditions such as diabetes or neurological pathologies are only a few.

I had my two eye teeth out 5 weeks agao and within 3 weeks I could feel one of the needle holes in the roof of my mouth and it was salty tasting and still is after all this time ..I went back to the Dentist and he said the needle will sometimes do that ? I am wondering if it is into my Sinus cavity?

Ausprim

In January 2008 I had two crowns put on my teeth, back top and back bottom. The top one easy as can be, the bottom more difficult because of the tilt of my mouth and narrow spaces. I had an injection on the top tooth, which was wonderful, it was very minimal and my face barely felt numb. Different story with the bottom one. Half way through drilling down for the crown I started feeling the drilling. He stopped and gave me another shot, this shot I felt deep in the gum as it was put around the tooth. After the temporary crown was put on it tasted very metallic. After the final crown was on, same thing.

Within a few days all I could taste was salt, it was unbearable even my lips felt coated with salt. I spent most of my days chewing on animal crackers and drinking water and soda to try and get rid of the taste. My tongue was also numb still on the side where the injection was. I called my dentist, they told me I must be imagining it, must be something else. After coming to this website and seeing all the complaints I was so angry at them that I am not sure I will return for cleans in the future. All they had to do was admit what it was.

I called my GP and he referred me to a neurologist who knew exactly what it was and did all kinds of tests with lollipops (sweet taste etc) and told me that it was lingual nerve damage and that it appeared to be mildly bruised (affected) and that it could take up to a year to go away (hopefully).

It is now June and it is finally gone. There is the odd day or two when I will have mild salty lips but the tongue lost its numbness and the salt is more or less gone.

I am still angry at my dentist because of this, not that it happened I am sure he didn't do it on purpose, but that they didn't just tell what it was and that it would eventually restore. I think it is a legal liability fear they may have. Hundreds and thousands of people are undergoing this and dentists are stating "we are imagining it" etc. like we are children! Thank goodness for the information on the internet or I would doubt myself.

Dentists most certainly know what this is and what causes it, a lot are just not willing to confirm it to us.