Is there any cure for "malfunctioning" taste buds?  A few years ago I accidentally "burnt" my tongue with some concentrated mouth wash. For the first 2 to 3 days, I couldn't taste anything. After about a week I regained a bit of my tasting ability. After some time, I have only regained about 60% of my tasting ability. Is there a problem? Is it possible for me to regain my sense of taste completely? Also, is there a cure? 

There are generally 2 types of commercially available mouth rinses - alcohol-based and specific chemical based. Different mouth rinses have slightly different functions but they are generally used to maintain oral health and hygiene.  
 
Being fluid-based, mouth rinses would seldom burn the tongue too badly. However, it is not uncommon for some people, after using certain types of mouth rinses for a long period of time, to experience taste changes. This is usually a temporary phenomenon and the person will usually fully recover after discontinuing usage of the mouth rinse, since the mouth rinse only affects the superficial layer of the tongue/taste buds. The taste buds usually recover quickly and the nerve supply (taste sensation) of the taste buds is not affected by the mouth rinse in the long run. 

Dr Ansgar Cheng is a Consultant Dental Surgeon at the Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre and Adjunct Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore. eMenders is a group of 40 doctors representing 25 medical and dental specialities. For more information on eMenders, visit www.emenders.com

The information provided above is of a general nature and is intended to provide health information to the general public. This information should not be treated as a replacement for medical advice. You should seek consultation from a medical or healthcare professional about your specific medical condition.