From Tammy Davenport,
Your Guide to Dental Care.
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Can't quite convince your child why she needs to brush her teeth? This easy experiment is fun and educational, and it may just end your sink-side struggles.

By performing this experiment, kids can actually see what the effects of brushing off plaque look like. All you need is hard boiled eggs and a few other things you probably already have around the house.

This can be done by one or several children, and it should be supervised by an adult.

You will need:

• Hard boiled eggs (one per child)
• Cola or another dark-colored soda (about 8 oz per child)
• Toothbrush (one per child)
• Toothpaste containing fluoride

Starting the Experiment

1. Before the experiment, boil an egg(s).
2. Place the egg in a glass of soda for a day.
3. The next day, talk to the children about the importance of brushing their teeth. Then take the egg out and show it.
4. The egg will be stained and look like plaque on a tooth. The egg will be discolored and yellowish.
5. Give each child a toothbrush with a little toothpaste on it.
6. Let them brush the "plaque" off of the egg.