Did you know that sports drinks can dye your teeth blue, green, or red? The acidity from these drinks can weaken your tooth enamel—that’s the hard outer part of your teeth—and make them more prone to staining due to the high amounts of artificial coloring and dyes that those drinks contain. Yikes! In this video, kids will learn what happens when an egg dyed with a blue sports drink and an egg dyed with coffee get scrubbed with a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
When scrubbed with a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, the egg soaked in a blue sports drink remains tinted blue, though the blue is reduced by a lot. Similarly, when an egg soaked in coffee is scrubbed with a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, the egg retains a subtle brown tint. This experiment demonstrates the idea that food and drink you consume has the potential to stain your teeth. But, it also shows that, although the color remains on the egg following the scrubbing, it is greatly reduced by the use of the toothpaste and fluoride toothpaste. Make sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day, especially after eating or drinking something that can stain your teeth like sports drinks and coffee. This can reduce the effect of the drink’s acidity on your teeth.
Keep your teeth clean and protect your tooth enamel by brushing your teeth and consuming acidic drinks in moderation. Have a happy, stain free smile!
Discussion Questions
What happens to the sports drink soaked egg when it’s brushed? What about the coffee soaked egg?
What does the acidity from a sports drink or a cup of coffee do to your teeth?
How many times a day should you brush your teeth? For how long?
Is it a good idea to brush your teeth after drinking fruit drinks?
Supplemental Worksheet
There are many drinks that can stain your teeth. Try this experiment to see what happens when you soak an egg in these different liquids.