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.

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?

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

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

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

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.

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.

Hmmm good point maybe it's the bitterness profile of the peel

It's not. Many things taste awful, including other kinds of juices.

Wild guess: the acid amplifies whatever effect in some way.

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

> 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?

Lots of people drink fresh OJ as part of breakfast.

.. Which I would expect people to eat before brushing, not after.

I grew up thinking that this was correct. "Just got my teeth dirty, time to clean them."

At some point, I heard that the opposite was true, ostensibly from a dentist on reddit. According to this anonymous stranger, after eating, your enamel is at its weakest, and you'll do the most damage to your teeth by brushing them. The reason was something about saliva and/or plaque that's been recently fed, I think.

(As a side note, some other dentist(?) in the same thread said that if you're going to brush your teeth once a day, it's most important to brush before going to bed.)

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.

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.

Most (?) of people brush before bed and after they wake up (before breakfast).

I also brush after breakfast, but this is kinda of common knowledge so I'm surprised you don't seem to know it.

My morning routine has always been to get up and use the bathroom, brush my teeth and then go about the rest of my day. If I eat breakfast at all, it's likely to be either after I've already left the house or the last thing I do before I leave. I've read somewhere (not sure how true it actually is) that you're not supposed to brush for half an hour after eating, so there's basically no point in time where I could brush after eating breakfast.

It depends on the morning routine.

When I'm in a hurry I just get all done in the bathroom, including brushing teeth, and grab a quick breakfast on my way out, which usually involves half a glass orange juice.

Those are the situations where the toothpaste aftertaste can sometimes collide with orange juice, making it super bitter.

I does not even have to be OJ. Think morning coffee with sugar, right after brushing. It tastes like crap.

does it not just taste like morning coffee without sugar?

This is the first time I’ve heard about this phenomenon.

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.