Understanding Why Orange and Toothpaste Tastes Notoriously Bad Together

Just about everyone knows that the worst thing you can do start your day is to brush your teeth before drinking your morning cup of OJ. That's because the mix of orange juice and toothpaste can create a bitter taste that will make most people cringe.

Why do two staples of our morning routines taste so terrible when they're combined? The answer may shock you almost as much as the feeling of taking a big old swig of your favorite citrus beverage right after banishing your morning breath.

Keep reading as I break down the answer to the question everyone's asking and finally explain why oranges and toothpaste just don't mix.

The South Springs Dental Group explains the phenomenon as having to do with the chemical reaction caused when sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) — an ingredient in most toothpastes — comes into contact with your tastebuds.

That's because SLS is a type of surfactant, which is a compound used to help spread the toothpaste throughout your mouth so it reaches everywhere it needs to.

When these ingredients hit your tastebuds, they suppress the part of the bud responsible for tasting sweets.

Not only that, but the SLS can also work to break down some of the phospholipids — which are responsible for preventing you from tasting bitter things — creating the perfect recipe for an unpleasant situation in your mouth. 

It's worth noting that not all toothpastes contain SLS, so if you've never experienced this reaction to drinking orange juice right after you brush your teeth than chances are that you may be using a more natural or eco-friendly toothpaste.

You may want to press pause on your daily dose of liquid sunshine — toothpaste or no toothpaste. That's because the acid in your orange juice could be weakening the enamel on your teeth. A report published in the Journal of Dentistry found that drinking orange juice could decrease the hardness of a tooth's enamel by 84 percent.

That not only increases your risk of developing cavities, but it can also speed up the wear and tear your teeth experience throughout your lifetime!

While the bitterness you experience when mixing orange juice and toothpaste is real, developing a sense of euphoria from them is not.

It seems like the idea that combining the pair could get you high is an urban legend and stems from the theory that the limonene found in orange peels could create a psychoactive effect when inhaled. While that may be true of the oils when inhaled in a big enough dose, it doesn't produce any significant high.

Instead, it's just the opposite, according to one Quora user who claims that trying to get high this way could be hazardous to your health.

In this case, it sounds like people should stick to consuming oranges in their juice form or as a snack instead of sniffing them... preferably before you brush your teeth, for obvious reasons.