Teeth are amazing tools that help us every day. They let us bite into food, chew, talk, and of course, smile! Keeping our teeth healthy is super important, and that means brushing them every morning and night. Just like Squeaks and I do!
Brushing is important because some things in our food and drinks can hurt our teeth. One of these things is called acid. Acids taste sour and are found in foods and drinks like oranges, sugary juices, coffee, and soda. They might taste good, but they can make tiny cracks in your teeth that you can’t even see. These cracks can let colors from foods and drinks in, making your teeth look yellow or brown. Brushing helps clean away the acid and keeps your teeth strong and white.
Want to see how brushing keeps teeth clean? Let’s do a fun experiment! Instead of using our teeth, we’ll use eggs because they are similar to teeth. Both eggshells and teeth have something called calcium, which makes them strong.
After sitting in soda, the egg turned brown! This is because the acid in the soda ate away at the eggshell, just like it can with teeth. The soda’s color got into the cracks and stained the egg. But when we brushed the egg, it became much less brown! This shows how brushing helps clean away acid and stains from teeth.
Brushing every day helps keep your teeth clean and healthy. You can also drink healthier options like water or milk, which is full of calcium to make your teeth stronger. No matter what you drink, always remember to brush your teeth to clean away acids and food leftovers.
Thanks for joining us for this egg brushing experiment! We’d love to hear how your experiment turned out. Did you try it with juice or coffee? Share your results with us by leaving a comment or sending an email to [email protected]. See you next time!
Observe and Record: For one week, keep a “Tooth Journal.” Each day, write down what you eat and drink, and then draw a picture of your teeth. At the end of the week, look at your drawings. Did you notice any changes? Talk with a grown-up about how different foods and drinks might affect your teeth.
Healthy Choices Game: Create a simple game with a grown-up. Use pictures of different foods and drinks, some healthy for teeth and some not. Mix them up and take turns picking a picture. If it’s healthy for teeth, you get a point! If it’s not, discuss why and how you can make a healthier choice next time.
Acid Test: With help from a grown-up, test different drinks to see which ones have acid. Use a piece of litmus paper (available at craft or science stores) and dip it into drinks like orange juice, soda, and water. Watch how the paper changes color! Which drinks are more acidic? Discuss how these might affect your teeth and why brushing is important.
