How does taste work?

Your sense of smell and taste work together to enhance your enjoyment of food.

The four basic tastes that you will recognize are:

Sour    Bitter    Sweet   Salty

 

The nerve receptors in your nose will be the first to signal the brain about what you are about to eat, but it is the sense of taste that most of us focus on.

The majority of the taste buds in your mouth are located on the edges and tip of the tongue, although there are a few on the roof of your mouth and throat. When you eat, the nerve receptors in your mouth send the message to your brain about the taste while at the same time your nose reports on the smell.

When you are a denture wearer, the taste buds located on the roof of your mouth are covered by the plastic palate of your upper denture. This can reduce the amount of pleasure you experience with meals. If you have discovered a decrease in taste with your new denture, contact your dentist. It may be possible to modify your denture to reduce the amount of plastic on the palate of your mouth.

For some, the only choice to regain their sense of taste may be a palate-less denture affixed to implants.