9 replies to this topic

[brzghoff]

i have seen some anecdotal evidence regarding the relationship between a metallic taste in the mouth and anxiety - mostly occurring just prior to having a panic attack. i don't have panic attacks, just chronic generalized anxiety - although its been much milder over the past month or so. anyone familiar with a correlation between dental health and mental health? besides the fact that they rhyme ;-)

 

i am experiencing a metallic taste in my mouth and my upper gums are swollen, only over my front teeth. both my top and bottom front teeth ache off an on. i have scheduled a dental appointment.

 

let me make it clear - i have always been in excellent dental health. i take great care of my teeth - following dentist's orders, brushing two times a day and flossing once. i also brush with a dry-mouth toothpaste and with a dry-mouth mouth wash - no SLS ingredients. the toothpaste has fluoride. i always get excellent checkups. i had six very small fillings in four teeth, all filled at under 10 years of age. one of the teeth with two fillings was capped two years ago, when i was 53. i later learned from a new dentist that should never had happened - i got ripped off - based on the x-ray the tooth was fine. with the little research i've done - i cannot find much on metal mouth and aching teeth/gums except in regard to gingivitis or periodontitis - i can't believe i have either - my gums are tight and a healthy pink. there is no history of any gum disease in my family. my parents are age 84 and 89 - and have all their own teeth! 

[gail]

Hi Brz,

That is very similar to what I have. In a hurry, will be back!

[fishinghat]

High stress levels have been known to cause a sweet taste in the mouth due to an increase in oral enzymes and increases in cortisol but I have never heard of a metal taste associated with any form of anxiety. I will do some homework though and see what I can find. Any changes in meds, supplements or diet before this developed?

[gail]

Hi again,

Metallic taste I don't have, my mom had that and nobody knew why.

When in the throws of big anxiety, there is a taste that I can't describe, but it's not sweet. I call it the anxiety taste, its like something inside my body that is secreted at those times.

As for teeth, before having radicular resurfacing in the spring on eight upper teeth, gums perfect here and no decay, I had a lot of pain in those teeth. I say teeth but it's the gums really. One day it would be one tooth, three days later,another one and so on.

After X-ray, they found out that food was inserting itself between the gum and the tooth, made its way up, germs that would eat the bone.
Radicular resurfacing is done in quadrants under local anesthesia. This serves to "glue " back the tooth to the gum so no food goes through.

Wow! So, since, I rarely feel the pain and in February, he will check by measuring the,I don't know how to say it. We will see if it worked.
This to say that it's not anxiety related in my case.

Even if I brush and floss many times a day, when this starts, there is nothing you can do but radicular resurfacing to glue it back together.

Did my best here, hope that you don't have that!

[brzghoff]

geeze, i sure hope i don't have that. it would be a radical departure since as of six months ago i had no "pockets" or spaces between my teeth and gums. what you describe is the frontline treatment for gingivitis. cost about $500 - sometimes more here in the states. 

 

as for the metallic taste, some might consider it "sweet"  . the only change in anything related to meds/diet/routine is the 5-htp i started the beginning of oct. i think the mouth thing started previous to me taking the 5-htp - but i'll check and see if that might be it. didn't think about it until now.

 

however, one other change is that my most recent toothbrush head replacement (i have powered toothbrush) is not a soft bristle - its regular - as i got a generic replacement. i've already been accused by my dentist of "brushing too hard" and that can make gums recede.. and bleed - not enough to see visibly, but enough to create the metal taste,which can be caused by the iron in blood. i just came across that a few minutes ago as a cause of metal taste in the mouth. 

[fishinghat]

Well apparently it is very common in anxiety patients (see first two references). The third reference is 63 things that can cause a metallic taste in the mouth. Of interest is the types of dental conditions that are notes.

http://www.calmclini.../metallic-taste

http://www.anxietyce...or-tastes.shtml

http://symptoms.wron...c-taste-all.htm
 
If you can find out what the name is of the particular product he used in the radicular resurfacing I would be glad to look into it for you.

[gail]

Fisherman ,

Interesting articles. As for products used, one is an antibiotic and the other one ???
I would say that it is 99% better. And, BTW,it is not gingivitis. My gums are very sane, I mean not swollen nor red. And I can't eat pop corn.

[fishinghat]

Antibiotics, could be.

[brzghoff]

while i don't think i have it, i have learned about a condition called burning mouth syndrome. it is linked to stress and anxiety, as well as hormonal changes. it ocurrs more frequently in post menopausal women. its rare and there is no known treatment. i foound out about it while searching for more info regarding swollen gums and metal taste. i am also feeling a burning sensation on my tongue off and on as well. but i still don't think my situation meets the criteria for burning mouth. i see the dentist tuesday. we'll see what's up.

 

gail, are you saying you had root planing and scaling - where they scrape the tooth/root below the gum? its done when the patient has deep "pockets" between the gum and tooth that collects plaque that the toothbrush or floss can't reach - here it goes by the laymen's term "deep cleaning". if they measure the pocket and its more than 4 mm, they recommend the deep cleaning - some rip off denstists recommend it even if there is no plaque build up - just based on the depth alone.

 

i've looked into it more, some folk  pay up to $250 a quadrant. so a full mouth can actually cost as much as $1000. with many dentists in the states, once you have a deep cleaning done, you never get to have a regular cleaning again. you have to have one that costs twice as much. typical cleaning with x-rays and check up is $75 give or take. i realize that deep cleaning is a proceedure that is likely necessary in some cases, but i think its getting out of hand, at least in the states. dental offices here are becoming assembly lines wih multiple hygenists and dental assistants trying to sell unnecessary proceedures. they know that dental pain is among the most feared of health problems and people will spend almost any amount of money to avoid it. 

 

dr hat, thanks for your research. i should have known. is there anything anxiety doesn't cause?

[brzghoff]

update:

 

dentist said he didn't notice any swelling in my gums, i did notice its gone way down since last week. the sensitivity is due to grinding my front teeth. i know i grind molars, day and night, but not the front. guess i do that at night only. even before anxiety i was a tooth grinder - classic side effect of anti-d's - goes along with akathesia. i got a mouthguard thing but don't use it. maybe i will start. not sure what the burning mouth thing was. it comes and goes. he said my teeth look great and that i barely gave him anything to do. unlike most dentists he actually does the cleaning himself. he said x-rays look great. definitely no deep cleaning needed. 

 

i just chalk it up to health anxiety <sigh>