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Fun fact: the sodium lauryl sulfate in toothpaste dulls the sweetness receptors on your tongue. The taste of orange juice after brushing your teeth is what it

Fun fact: the sodium lauryl sulfate in toothpaste dulls the sweetness receptors on your tongue. The taste of orange juice after brushing your teeth is what it would ALWAYS taste like to cats.

namdnay 7y ago
I've always been suspicious of that. Why is it specifically OJ that tastes awful, and not other juices, or chocolate, or bread?
- Waterluvian 7y ago
  Wild guess: the acid amplifies whatever effect in some way.
  - namdnay 7y ago
    So I thought so, but I've tried grapefruit juice, and I don't get the effect. And I can clearly taste sugar after toothpaste
- pzone 7y ago
  Bread isn't particularly sweet compared to other foods. Orange juice has a strange and very strong flavor compared to other juices and has a significant bitter component to its taste due to crushing the peels. Never tried chocolate after brushing my teeth but I don't find 99% / unsweetened dark chocolate particularly offensive.
  - namdnay 7y ago
    Hmmm good point maybe it's the bitterness profile of the peel
- hkjhreiou 7y ago
  You don't even need toothpaste. Taste is also a state of mind thing. Bet a friend/family member that they can’t taste the difference between whole/2%/1%/skim milk, or some combination thereof. Blindfold them and have them begin tasting the milks. Now, replace the last milk with orange juice. The brain prepares the body for milk, and the unexpected acidity usually causes a gag reflex, and sometimes vomiting. Keep a bucket handy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlhfIN_qbEk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlhfIN_qbEk
  - r00fus 7y ago
    I stopped drinking OJ as a teen after a decent run (4mi) and coming back super thirsty and drinking OJ just caused my mouth to keep salivating continuously (painfully) for minutes. I vowed that day to stop drinking OJ and stick to water.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- phonebanshee 7y ago
  It's not. Many things taste awful, including other kinds of juices.
seamyb88 7y ago
Are you sure it only dulls the sweet receptors? Coffee (with no sugar or milk) tastes sweet when I brush my teeth. I always thought it was the sour and the sweet getting confused rather than the sweet going bye-bye.
Sohcahtoa82 7y ago
> The taste of orange juice after brushing your teeth I'm always wondering how so many people know of this first-hand. Why are you drinking OJ, something extremely high in sugar, so soon after brushing your teeth?
- nullspace 7y ago
  I does not even have to be OJ. Think morning coffee with sugar, right after brushing. It tastes like crap.
  - scrumbledober 7y ago
    does it not just taste like morning coffee without sugar?
- scaryclam 7y ago
  Lots of people drink fresh OJ as part of breakfast.
  - Jolter 7y ago
    .. Which I would expect people to eat before brushing, not after.
    - rhino369 7y ago
      My wife hates her unfresh breath so much that she won't eat before brushing. I don't really get it since my mouth tastes like mint for 30 minutes after brushing, which makes food taste gross.
      - Sohcahtoa82 7y ago
        Does she not brush at night before bed? That's the best time to brush. Otherwise, all the bacteria and the like in your mouth have all night to fester.
JimiofEden 7y ago
This is interesting. I've never experienced the absolute aversion that other people seem to have to drinking when Orange Juice after brushing my teeth (though I'll admit that I won't willingly combine mint and citrus.) But I also specifically use toothpaste that doesn't has sodium lauryl sulfate because it aggravates canker sores in my mouth. I wonder if this is why.
- pgt 7y ago
  You might have a sulfite allergy that’s triggering an immune response. Do you have any other skin conditions triggered by consuming food or drink preserved with sulphites or sulfides, e.g. red wine, dried fruits?
  - JimiofEden 7y ago
    Nope, not at all. My skin has always been clear my whole life, and I often consume dried fruits (raisins are currently my favorite evening snack,) as well as many other commonly 'triggering' things (red wine among them, tea, alcohol and soda spring to mind, though I've cut back immensely on the last two) That being said, you still might be right, since the science behind canker sores is a crapshoot to begin with, as I've learned Personally, what works for me is: If I bite my lip, or feel a sore coming on in general, I immediately have to wash it out. After that, the only way to prevent a full week+ long sore is to put alum (pickling spice) on it for 90 seconds or so, once or twice a day. And of course, I need to make sure I meticulously brush and floss after every meal (of course with toothpaste without laurel sodium sulfate) Usually I can suffice for the normal once or twice a day And that being said, this isn't exactly scientific. This is 100% just correlation and gathering personal anecdotal data. If I happen to stumble across something better, I'll take it. But all things considered, it's not a particularly bad thing to suddenly feel the need to take extra care of my mouth once a month or so

Fun fact: the sodium lauryl sulfate in toothpaste dulls the sweetness receptors on your tongue. The taste of orange juice after brushing your teeth is what it would ALWAYS taste like to cats.

namdnay 7y ago

I've always been suspicious of that. Why is it specifically OJ that tastes awful, and not other juices, or chocolate, or bread?

Waterluvian 7y ago
Wild guess: the acid amplifies whatever effect in some way.
- namdnay 7y ago
  So I thought so, but I've tried grapefruit juice, and I don't get the effect. And I can clearly taste sugar after toothpaste
pzone 7y ago
Bread isn't particularly sweet compared to other foods. Orange juice has a strange and very strong flavor compared to other juices and has a significant bitter component to its taste due to crushing the peels. Never tried chocolate after brushing my teeth but I don't find 99% / unsweetened dark chocolate particularly offensive.
- namdnay 7y ago
  Hmmm good point maybe it's the bitterness profile of the peel
hkjhreiou 7y ago
You don't even need toothpaste. Taste is also a state of mind thing. Bet a friend/family member that they can’t taste the difference between whole/2%/1%/skim milk, or some combination thereof. Blindfold them and have them begin tasting the milks. Now, replace the last milk with orange juice. The brain prepares the body for milk, and the unexpected acidity usually causes a gag reflex, and sometimes vomiting. Keep a bucket handy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlhfIN_qbEk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlhfIN_qbEk
- r00fus 7y ago
  I stopped drinking OJ as a teen after a decent run (4mi) and coming back super thirsty and drinking OJ just caused my mouth to keep salivating continuously (painfully) for minutes. I vowed that day to stop drinking OJ and stick to water.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
phonebanshee 7y ago
It's not. Many things taste awful, including other kinds of juices.

seamyb88 7y ago

Are you sure it only dulls the sweet receptors? Coffee (with no sugar or milk) tastes sweet when I brush my teeth. I always thought it was the sour and the sweet getting confused rather than the sweet going bye-bye.

Sohcahtoa82 7y ago

> The taste of orange juice after brushing your teeth I'm always wondering how so many people know of this first-hand. Why are you drinking OJ, something extremely high in sugar, so soon after brushing your teeth?

nullspace 7y ago
I does not even have to be OJ. Think morning coffee with sugar, right after brushing. It tastes like crap.
- scrumbledober 7y ago
  does it not just taste like morning coffee without sugar?
scaryclam 7y ago
Lots of people drink fresh OJ as part of breakfast.
- Jolter 7y ago
  .. Which I would expect people to eat before brushing, not after.
  - rhino369 7y ago
    My wife hates her unfresh breath so much that she won't eat before brushing. I don't really get it since my mouth tastes like mint for 30 minutes after brushing, which makes food taste gross.
    - Sohcahtoa82 7y ago
      Does she not brush at night before bed? That's the best time to brush. Otherwise, all the bacteria and the like in your mouth have all night to fester.

JimiofEden 7y ago

This is interesting. I've never experienced the absolute aversion that other people seem to have to drinking when Orange Juice after brushing my teeth (though I'll admit that I won't willingly combine mint and citrus.) But I also specifically use toothpaste that doesn't has sodium lauryl sulfate because it aggravates canker sores in my mouth. I wonder if this is why.

pgt 7y ago
You might have a sulfite allergy that’s triggering an immune response. Do you have any other skin conditions triggered by consuming food or drink preserved with sulphites or sulfides, e.g. red wine, dried fruits?
- JimiofEden 7y ago
  Nope, not at all. My skin has always been clear my whole life, and I often consume dried fruits (raisins are currently my favorite evening snack,) as well as many other commonly 'triggering' things (red wine among them, tea, alcohol and soda spring to mind, though I've cut back immensely on the last two) That being said, you still might be right, since the science behind canker sores is a crapshoot to begin with, as I've learned Personally, what works for me is: If I bite my lip, or feel a sore coming on in general, I immediately have to wash it out. After that, the only way to prevent a full week+ long sore is to put alum (pickling spice) on it for 90 seconds or so, once or twice a day. And of course, I need to make sure I meticulously brush and floss after every meal (of course with toothpaste without laurel sodium sulfate) Usually I can suffice for the normal once or twice a day And that being said, this isn't exactly scientific. This is 100% just correlation and gathering personal anecdotal data. If I happen to stumble across something better, I'll take it. But all things considered, it's not a particularly bad thing to suddenly feel the need to take extra care of my mouth once a month or so