Paperclips and Braces

Yeah, you read this title right.... I am blogging about paperclips and braces. Now normally I would not write about something I just saw... no, I write about something so strange to me that I experienced, yes, experienced.

Paperclips and Braces??? Oh Jeannie, what did you do??? LOL

Okay, I was on my lunch break at work and just finished munching on some fresh carrots. Well, I had one pesky piece stuck in the back of my braces. I dug through my mess of a purse to find nothing.... no plastic toothpick or anything. Guess that is what I get for constantly switching purses. Anyway, I decided to use a small paperclip to remove the unsightly orange mess from under my wire.
I bent the clip and inserted between the wire and immediately noticed the most awful taste ever and it just felt strange. It felt like I just sucked on a 9 volt battery!

Curious (call me George today), I cringed through the taste, removed the carrot, and decided to experiment a little bit. First I removed the clip from my mouth and licked my braces.... Nothing. Then I touched the paperclip to my tongue.... again, nothing. Then I put the paperclip against the brackets and BAMMMM! Metallic Taste.

I went home and decided to find the bottom of this... and performed and infamous Google Search on Paperclips and Braces. First off, I am happy to say I am NOT the first person to experience this with paperclips.... Whew! I felt a silly for a second. So here is what I found...

"Two different metals and a electrolyte (your spit) makes a electrolytic cell -a battery."

So now I wonder.... if I put a light bulb in my mouth with the paperclip.... will it light up? Hmmmm...... Unfortunately, I am not going to try it, for fear of who knows what. But if any other crazy people do... let me know the outcome. LOL

Moral to this story: Paperclips + Braces = Battery.

Also, just so you know, Slimfast cans have a similar, but less of a reaction.

Happy Bracing Everyone!