Remember that time that you thought “Oh, I’ll bring orange juice with me to work today!” Then when you get out to your car you take a sip and think to yourself… “Did the orange juice go bad? I just bought this!” Then you remember that you just brushed your teeth and that’s why that was possibly the most disgusting sip of anything you’ve ever drunk. But why is that? Why does orange juice specifically taste so bad after brushing your teeth!
Well, there is actually a pretty simple reason why, and no it’s not that the minty and orange juice tastes are so different. It has to do with a chemical called SLS. SLS, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, is found in most kinds of toothpaste. When you brush your teeth the SLS causes the paste to become the foamy bubbly substance which is what makes your teeth feel clean.
Scientifically, when SLS becomes activated it makes your sweet taste-buds stop working as well for a short time. SLS also destroys fats that block your bitter tastebuds. Both
of those side effects hide the sweetness of orange juice and amplifies the bitterness. That’s why it tastes absolutely awful after brushing your teeth!
Along with it tasting horrible, drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth isn’t the best for your teeth. Leaving citrus based, sugary drinks on your teeth for the whole day causes tooth decay. So if you do choose to drink some orange juice after you brush your teeth, go back for round two and brush them again or use a reusable straw! Check to see if SLS is in your toothpaste and if it is, make sure you drink your morning glass of OJ before brushing your teeth!
