An Amazing Eggs-periment!

It’s always good to use a visual aide when teaching children. This is true of dental health and science — and this experiment combines both!

The “eggs-periment” uses white eggs to demonstrate how food and beverages affect the condition of our teeth.

• Hard-boil two white eggs. Allow to cool.
• Fill one plastic cup with soda and one with water.
• Put one egg in each cup and leave overnight.
• The next day, remove both eggs from the cups. The one in the soda will be stained brown, and the one in the water will look just the same as before.
• Let the children observe close-up the difference between the two eggs.
• Talk about how the egg’s shell is hard, but it can still be damaged by soda, just like their teeth. The enamel on our teeth protects the softer inside, just like the eggshell protects the egg inside.
• Explain how soda contains sugar and acid, which stain teeth and also cause cavities. That’s why it’s important to limit soda intake and brush thoroughly afterward.
• Use an old toothbrush on the egg to demonstrate the proper way to brush, with circular motion.

This is a fun exercise for families as well as for schools. It was a big hit when the Future of Dentistry staff visited classrooms recently to talk about dental health!

You can also boil additional eggs and submerge them in other colorful, high-sugar drinks, like fruit juice. Or, try putting one of the eggs in a cup full of milk — you’ll notice milk doesn’t change the color of the egg.

Even younger kids are familiar with the basics of healthy eating nowadays, so it’s easy for them to grasp the idea of food and drinks being healthy or unhealthy for their teeth, as well.