Bad Taste on Tounge/Bad smell of saliva

[Vinnentino]

It started with a odd taste in my mouth, I took extra care to brush off my tongue with bakingsoda toothpaste. It kept it away for half of the day. It came back, which I then took care of with a mouthwash rinse of listerene and bakingsoda.
That took care of it until night, I'm on break so I noticed that I was having the taste almost all the time.

I cleaned my hands and stuck a swab on the back of my tongue where the odd taste is (on the very back where it appears that the tastebud bumps are larger and on the sides a little further up. Which are the bitter and sour tasting areas {I personally don't believe in acupuncture but apparently these are the liver/gallbladder and kidneys/bladder areas}). The first thing that I noticed was that the saliva smelled foul, like, well, nasty cat breath almost. I tested the tip of my tongue and the saliva there had no odd smell to it.

I would blame bad oral hygiene but I'm very clean about these things and I find it extremely odd that it only occurs on the very back and sides of my tongue.

[scottma]

Please google " dysgeusia"( altered taste), you probably can get detailed information. Factors associated with dysgeusia: gingivitis or periodontitis, chorda tympani injury, drugs, especially antibiotics, endocrine disease, heavy-metal intoxication,psychologic problems, zinc deficiency, idiopathic condition.Foul saliva is commonly associated with tooth cavities and periodontitis, or ill fitting prosthesis.

[onionbagel]

I have the exact same symptoms as you have described. It has been a couple months now. ENT doctor doesn't seem to be of any help. I too am concerned. Have you been able to figure what it is or any treatments that worked? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[justmesayin]

I've had this for about 20 years!  It started, I think, with a really bad throat infection I had when I was young, and ever since then the back of my tongue smells bad, but the tip and front area are fine.

I believe the smell is related to tonsilloliths.  I take care to clean out all the crevasses in the back of my mouth OFTEN, but it doesn't really help much at all except to remove tonsilloliths from ever forming.

My thinking is that it is these tonsillar crypts or crevasses that are allowing bacteria and food particles to lodge themselves into and thus emit the odour and taint the smell of my saliva and tongue.  Wikipedia has a good article on tonsoliths and even shows a gross picture of one lodged in the back of the mouth crevass.

The only way to completely prevent the smell, I BELIEVE, is getting your tonsils removed.  ugh

Until then, you kind of have to live with it and be vigilent about constantly cleaning your mouth -- but your saliva and back of your tongue will probably always have a slight odd odour.