This Is Why It Hurts When You Bite Down On Aluminium Foil… - Metro

Home » Why Biting Aluminum Foil Hurts » This Is Why It Hurts When You Bite Down On Aluminium Foil… - Metro

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Brace yourself for galvanic shock (Picture: Getty)

Ever feel that quick zap of pain when you bite down on a piece of aluminium foil by accident?

Well, that’s called galvanic shock.

Although it may sound like a type of torture inflicted on enemies by a sci-fi villain, it actually occurs when two different types of metal interact.

For example, when a piece of stray foil (from that lovingly wrapped burrito, perhaps?) comes into contact with metal in your mouth (like a filling or braces).

Ouch.

Galvanic shock occurs because the metals create opposing forces similar to a small battery.

When we bite down, the circuit completes (remember GCSE science?) and the charge flows through the tooth’s root and down into our nerves.

Our brains interprets the unusual sensation as pain.

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