What do dental implants taste like? Ultimately, they should taste of nothing, but in the days and weeks immediately after receiving the implant, you might notice some unusual new tastes in your mouth. These will very quickly subside, but the trick is being able to distinguish between tastes that are a standard aspect of the adjustment process and tastes that indicate you should go back to your dentist to have the implant inspected.

The Taste (or Lack Thereof) of Titanium

The dental implant itself is titanium, and it has been inserted into the dental arch, meaning that your taste buds are not technically able to register it. The tip of the implant will generally be covered with a healing cap that is affixed to the implant's adjustment screws. This healing cap is usually also made of titanium. It's not as though this will produce a metallic taste or any kind of noticeable taste at all, but the mere presence of the healing cap will feel odd under your tongue at first.

The Taste of Blood

Blood has been described as having a somewhat metallic taste (along with being salty). It's certainly possible and even likely that you will be able to taste a small amount of blood from the tissues surrounding the implant and healing cap. This will rather quickly go away as the site begins to heal, meaning that the blood seeping from the edges of the implant has dissipated. Although it's not such a nice taste, it's not anything to be concerned about unless it doesn't subside or gets worse. 

A Truly Unpleasant Taste

If you experience a truly unpleasant taste, this indicates that you should get to your dentist as soon as possible. If you've ever had an abscessed tooth where the pus sack has ruptured, you will know the truly disgusting flavour that this produces. Although any pus escaping from the site of the implant will not be in such large quantities, it can be a sign of peri-implantitis, which is a localised infection affecting the implant site. This needs to be treated with antibiotics rather promptly so that it doesn't become more serious.

In most cases, you will not experience any strange tastes after receiving a dental implant, aside from a small amount of blood, and this taste won't hang around. When it does hang around or when it escalates to a taste that is nothing short of revolting, please see your dentist immediately.