What’s Staining Our Tooth Enamel? | The Tooth Enamel Egg-speriment [VIDEO]

By Shelby Tatomir on August 13, 2019 in Just for Kicks

Eggshells and teeth have entirely different functions, so it’s difficult to see what they have in common unless we take a look at how they are made. Eggshells have a similar make-up to our tooth enamel, making them react similarly with other foods and beverages. This can help us understand what stains tooth enamel.

When we brush an eggshell with fluoridated toothpaste, it strengthens the shell and protects it from acid, just like it does for our tooth enamel. Additionally, acid breaks down eggshells just like it does to our tooth enamel. Enamel is the hardest substance created by the human body. But, that doesn’t make it invincible. This experiment can help you and your kids understand how stained tooth enamel occurs from some of the most common beverages we drink.

The Enamel Egg-Speriment Results

In this egg-speriment, we use eggs and a variety of beverages - both sugary and acidic - to show their impact on oral health. The beverages affect the eggshells just like they affect our teeth. Check out how the drinks we consume every day are changing and coloring our tooth enamel!

From coffee and sports drinks to soda and juice, the damage done to our enamel look-alikes will help you never forget to brush your teeth again!

After soaking in various beverages in the refrigerator for 24 hours, the eggshells exposed to sugar changed drastically. These visuals should ensure you remember to grab a glass of water instead of a soda or coffee during that afternoon slump: