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Cigar Tip: Don’t Brush This Off

2 Dec 2013

Here’s a cigar suggestion you might not have heard: change your toothpaste.

ToothpasteChances are you’re using a conventional toothpaste in a tube that contains a sodium-based chemical known as a surfactant. It’s the ingredient that makes toothpaste—and a host of other products from detergents to surfboard wax—spread better and helps create toothpaste’s foam.

I don’t know of anything wrong with these chemicals or any potential danger from using them. But they can mess up your taste buds, sometimes reducing the ability to experience sweetness and making bitterness more intense. How intense the disruption is, and how long it lasts, seem to vary among individuals and use.

Let me confess that my knowledge is based mainly on reading and my own experience, and I’m surely no expert. So I need to add a disclaimer. I’m not a dentist or a doctor and have never even played one on TV. So, before you do anything, you might want to consult with your health professional.

Finding a toothpaste or powder without surfactants, the most common of which in toothpaste go by the abbreviations SLS and SLES, is pretty simple. Just do a Google search and by the time you type “toothpaste without” you’ll start to see responses.

I switched a while back to Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Tooth & Gum Powder at the suggestion of my dental hygienist. It’s an all-natural product, and I should note that while I like it, some dislike the taste. Perhaps the most widely known toothpaste without SLS is sold under the Tom’s of Maine label.

I’ve never thought I had a particularly good set of taste buds—or olfactory receptors, for that matter. I think switching to Christopher’s Powder has helped, though I couldn’t say how much. See what switching does for you.

George E

photo credit: Flickr

5 Responses to “Cigar Tip: Don’t Brush This Off”

  1. Andy Monday, December 2, 2013 at 4:42 pm #

    Never occurred to me my toothpaste might be impacting the way I taste cigars (and other important things, like bourbon). Thanks for the info.

  2. Alex Sunday, December 22, 2013 at 11:56 pm #

    Thanks for the info. I was wondering what was wrong with my taste buds,now know.

  3. Eric Steinbicker Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 9:07 pm #

    Interesting theory. I am a dentist and am very much believe in research so would have to see studies done on the subject first before I'd be convinced. What I do know is that a lot of my patients that smoke cigars or cigarettes have a very dry mouth (xerostomia) which often leads to changes in taste. This leads to the question as to whether the issue is a really a surfactant or the actual smoking that's causing the issue of taste loss.

    Good article though!
    Eric Steinbicker, DDS http://www.SteinbickerFamilyDentistryMebane.com

  4. Tandarts Spoed Saturday, January 18, 2014 at 6:34 am #

    good tip though…I always experienced this weird taste after I brushed my teeth.
    <a href="http://www.gebitheld.nl/tandarts-haarlem-noord” target=”_blank”>www.gebitheld.nl/tandarts-haarlem-noord

  5. Online Fashion Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 8:25 am #

    Thanks for more info.