Have you ever accidentally chewed on aluminum foil, only to experience an immediate, sharp pain in your mouth? You’re not alone! It’s an unusual question, but one that we hear often: “why does biting aluminum foil hurt so bad?” The pain you felt is from called galvanic shock, and as you may already know, the pain is agonizing.
What is Galvanic Shock?
Simply put: it’s like creating a battery in your mouth. Aluminum foil and other metals in your mouth have an electrochemical potential difference. Combined with saliva, which produces a wet, salty environment that’s ideal for the transfer of energy, you experience a painful shock of voltage.
This effect was originally identified centuries ago, and is called the voltaic effect. Alessandro Volta discovered it when stacking piles of different metals on top of each other, with sheets of paper soaked in salt water between them. As he stacked them together, they created a low-powered battery.
You may be wondering “what other metals are in my mouth?” If you have excellent dental hygiene and haven’t had any damage to your teeth – none at all! But many people have fillings or metal crowns that are the perfect conductors to cause galvanic shock. Biting aluminum foil with any teeth that have these metals will give you that painful zap.
If you don’t have a metal crown or any fillings, biting foil won’t shock you.
But I Felt The Same Pain Without Biting Aluminum Foil
Accidentally biting aluminum foil is one of the most common ways people experience galvanic shock. But it’s not the only way to cause it. If you have fillings or metal crowns that are made of different metals, simply biting your teeth together can cause a shock too! And if you’re a teeth grinder, you’ll notice right away when it happens!
Modern dental amalgam is still used today for fillings. As the name suggests, amalgam is a mixture of many metals. Because of its mixture, two teeth with fillings that are opposite each other can cause you to experience a painful shock.
Here are some of the most common causes of galvanic shock:
- Contact between a gold crown and amalgam filling
- Contact between a silver fork and a gold crown
- Contact between foil and your fillings or crowns
Can Braces Cause Galvanic Shock?
Yes! Unlike the myth that braces increase your chance to be struck by lightning, this one is true. If you have traditional metal braces, it can create a voltaic effect when the braces touch other metals too. Unlike other galvanic shock, it’s less common. This is because the metal of your braces isn’t on your chewing surfaces. Biting aluminum foil with braces on won’t typically shock you – but if the foil touches your brackets, it could.
Why Does Such a Small Shock Hurt?
The voltage from galvanic shock isn’t strong enough to cause actual harm. But it still hurts more than a typical electrical shock you might experience. Why?
Because the nerves in your teeth can only feel pain. Unlike other nerves in your body, the ones in your teeth respond to everything by signaling “pain” to your brain. If you have exposed nerves in your mouth, you’ll notice that everything hurts. Cold will hurt, but hot will be equally painful. Even simply drinking room temperature water can set off your nerves.
The galvanic effect triggers your nerves and, despite being relatively inconsequential, can only make you feel pain. That’s one reason it’s critical to take great care of your teeth – an exposed nerve will always be a painful experience.
How to Prevent Galvanic Shock When Wearing Braces
There’s no reason to be worried about galvanic shock when wearing braces. The likelihood of a shock occurring is low. After all, how often do you bite down on aluminum foil? However, you can avoid shock all together by looking at other options beyond traditional metal braces.
Dr. Andy offers all types of braces, and you may be best suited for something other than the traditional style. Consider:
- Ceramic Braces
- Clear Braces
- Hidden / Lingual Braces
While hidden braces still use metal brackets, they’re even less likely to cause galvanic shock, due to the location of the brackets. If you’re experiencing frequent shocks, speak with your orthodontist to explore your options!
Schedule a Free Consultation
Do you have questions about wearing, maintaining or cleaning your braces? Find out how we can help by scheduling a free consultation! Contact us online or call 440-842-8015.
Stay connected with Doctor Andy on Social Media!
