I received porcelain veneers in February of this year after finishing Invisalign to correct tooth shape and discoloration. In April, I began to get a sour taste in my mouth. The closest way I can describe it is like spoiled milk or sour dairy products. It’s strange. I am very serious about my oral hygiene. I floss daily or twice daily if I feel anything foreign between my teeth and gums. So that is not the issue. I also brush my teeth twice daily, rinse my mouth out after I eat, and sometimes swish a little mouthwash around in my mouth to try to neutralize the sour taste, but it isn’t working.

My sister told me to try brushing my tongue, but that still doesn’t help. I am not an alarmist, but I am sure the sour taste is getting worse. My dentist checked all my eight veneers, but she didn’t see anything wrong. Now my dentist is asking me about changes in my diet and medication. She suggests that I see my primary care doctor. I don’t think that’s the issue, though. Is there something about the porcelain veneers that my dentist might have missed that could be causing the problem? Thanks for your help. Jen – Delaware

Jen – We understand your concern. A consistent sour taste in your mouth can be annoying. The issue is possibly an oral issue, which may be caused by tooth decay or an infection.

What Can Cause a Sour Taste in Your Mouth?

A change in diet or medication can cause unusual tastes in your mouth. Other causes of a sour taste include:

• Dehydration
• Infections or illness
• Poor oral hygiene
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease
• Advancing age
• Cancer treatment

But if the sour taste didn’t start until you received porcelain veneers, microleakage behind your veneers may be causing your concerns.

Microleakage facts:

• Microleakage occurs when, during the bonding process, there is a gap left between the veneer and your tooth.
• Food or liquid can leak behind the veneer and breed bacteria.
• Decay will eventually result, and it can result in bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth.

It is best to take control of your oral health and get a second opinion from a skilled cosmetic dentist. If your veneers are faulty, an advanced cosmetic dentist can carefully remove, clean, and bond them back on. If the cosmetic dentist agrees that your porcelain veneers are correctly bonded and are not causing the bad taste in your mouth, they will further investigate.

You may need to see your primary care doctor if there is no problem with the restorations of your teeth. It’s essential to address the issue promptly to prevent the underlying cause from worsening.

Dr. Rekha Reddy, a Dallas, Texas dentist, sponsors this post.