The EggSperiment – For Teachers

This is a fun experiment for parents and teachers to show kids how fluoride helps protect teeth against tooth decay. The Canadian Dental Association recommends adult supervision for this activity.

Background

Eggshells and teeth both have something in common; they can be weakened by acid. When you put an egg in vinegar, it attacks the shell similar to how your teeth are vulnerable to weak acid attacks.

*Note for teachers: You might like to create a checklist for the following steps on your blackboard or on paper handouts to involve your whole class in this activity in this EggSperiment.

Purpose

This experiment shows how you can help lock in the calcium in an eggshell – and your teeth – by protecting them with a fluoride toothpaste.

Time Needed

This experiment can take 5 or 6 days so if this is being done at school, start on a Thursday or Friday afternoon.

Materials

Crest for Kids Cavity Protection Sparkle Gel toothpaste
Paper towel
Teaspoon
Plastic wrap
Marker or pen
Clear nail polish
Glass measuring cup (500 ml / two cups)
Three or four eggs without cracks – fresh or hard boiled*
Table vinegar

*NOTE: You’ll only need one egg for the experiment but you might want to use 3 or 4 eggs just in case one egg gets dropped.

Preparation

Let the egg warm to room temperature
Empty the tube of toothpaste into the measuring cup.
Remove any air bubbles in toothpaste by patting it down with a teaspoon.
Wash your hands and the egg with warm water and dry using a paper towel
Mark one side of the egg with a small “X” using a pen or marker to show the side that will not be covered (protected) by the toothpaste.
Cover the mark with the nail polish to protect it from the coming vinegar.
Horizontally, place the egg into the measuring cup to cover half the egg with toothpaste. But make sure the bottom of the cup doesn’t touch the egg.
Use plastic wrap to cover the cup and put it in a safe place. Place it in room temperature for 4 days.

Acid Attack

After 4 days, use the teaspoon to carefully remove the egg and rinse off the toothpaste with some warm tap water.
Let the egg dry overnight.
On the next day, pour enough vinegar into the measuring cup that will submerge the egg
Carefully place the egg into the vinegar solution
You and your students will see gas bubbles quickly begin to form and rise from the unprotected side of the egg. The shell is being attacked by acid.
Leave the egg in the vinegar until the side with the “X” softens. This could take between 7 and 13 hours. You can leave it overnight and record the number of hours the egg spent in the vinegar.

Results

After the egg has been in the vinegar for at least 7 hours, you can check if the unprotected side has softened by using your finger to tap it very lightly
When finally soft, carefully remove the egg and wash it with warm water.
Holding the egg, you can now tap the unprotected side (side with the “X”) and compare the weak shell with the protected side, which should be much harder.

The fluoride in the toothpaste helped to make the eggshell strong, protecting it from the acid in vinegar. Fluoride is a mineral found in nature. It makes the hard, outer layer of teeth (called enamel) stronger. – Canadian Dental Association

We hope you and your kids learned something about enamel and the importance of protecting your teeth with fluoride!

Source: http://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/teaching_resources/eggsperiment.asp

December 8, 2020January 27, 2021

How Do Cavities Affect Your Teeth – and How to Prevent Them

cartoon tooth with cavity on side of tooth

What is a Cavity?

A cavity is a small hole that forms on the surface of a tooth because of a bacteria mixture. When we eat sugary food, the bacteria in our mouths produce an acid that eats away at the enamel of our teeth (outer layer). Cavities can happen more often in childhood, but adults get them too!

Fillings:

These cavities form around the filling because fillings are not as smooth as natural teeth and small food bits and bacteria work their way into the filling. This allows a cavity to form. And when a filling breaks, the section of the tooth that isn’t covered is more likely to get a cavity.

Roots

These cavities form around the root of a tooth. If you like to brush hard or have a bad habit of it, your gum line can recede. Getting older can also cause this gum recession. When your gums no longer cover the roots, the roots of the teeth unprotected and are more likely to get cavities.

Soft Drinks

Did you know that soft drinks or sodas —even those that are sugar-free —have a concentrated acid that eats away at tooth enamel. If you can’t live without them, you can drink them quickly and use a straw to avoid extended contact with your teeth.

A List of How to Prevent Cavities

Cut out sugary foods and drinks
Eat vitamin D
Chew on sugar-free gum (Healthy alternatives like Xylitol or Stevia)
Brush with fluoride toothpaste
Rinse your mouth with mouthwash
Visit your dentist regularly
Drink some tap water
Consider dental sealants

Dental Exam

Dental exams are extensive and thorough. When you get your dental exam, your dentist will check your fillings and previous dental and health history to see if anything would suggest that you replace any broken or loose fillings. Your dentist will check for any signs of decay that would be seen in brown or black spots on your teeth.

Your dentist may want to use X-rays to look closer at these spots. If a cavity shows up in the x-rays, your dentist may wait and watch it (if it’s small), or suggest filling it immediately. Without cleaning and filling a cavity right away, you can lose your tooth. If this does happen, it will have to be replaced by an artificial tooth for adults which don’t have natural replacements.

Besides a tooth extraction to replace your tooth, your dentist may offer fluoride treatments, fillings, a crown, or a root canal.

Source: https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/talk/complications/diseases/cavities.asp

Learn more about how a Dental exam works and can prevent cavities here.

Want to Book an Appointment for your child? Drop us a message

November 1, 2019November 19, 2019

What Is Laser Dentistry?

fotona lightwalker dental laser red deer

Simply put, laser dentistry uses extremely focused light beams (lasers) to remove or alter soft or hard tissues in the mouth without the uncomfortable vibration, noise or heat of a drill. These lasers come in handy for tons of different dental procedures, ranging from the reshaping of gums to teeth whitening (queue that perfect smile), but while lasers have been around for decades, many patients are only now discovering laser dentistry as an alternative to certain traditional dental practices. Feeling skeptical? Well, just imagine taking a trip to the dentist, sitting back in a comfy chair and having work done without the use of a drill. For once, you can actually hear the TV overhead!

While there are tons of reasons dentists would use laser technology, here are a couple of the most common procedures:

Gummy Smile: Laser technology can be used to treat a “gummy smile.” This means that dentists can reshape gums if they’re covering too much of a patient’s teeth.
Crowns: When a patient requires a crown but the dentist needs to expose more of a tooth’s surface, dentists can use a laser to recontour gum tissue and bone.
Tooth Decay: Lasers can detect early tooth decay and kill bacteria in a cavity.
Teeth Whitening: During teeth-whitening sessions, lasers help speed up the bleaching process.
Sleep Apnea: Lasers are used to induce tighten the collagen in the nasal cavity to reduce snoring at night.

This All Sounds Great, But Why Pick Laser Over Regular Dentistry?

One of the biggest reasons is because laser dentistry can feel a lot less intrusive and is more gentle. Instead of using drills or heavy anesthesia, dentists use lasers to minimize patient discomfort. For example, it’s easier to control bleeding during a laser procedure and this lessens the chance a patient will need stitches (how awesome is that?) Healing times are also increased, which means you can return to your normal routine much more quickly. Finally, the light beams used in these types of procedures sterilize the surgical site, reducing the likelihood of infection!

You must be wondering how these procedures work. First of all, there are two main branches of laser dentistry: soft tissue procedures and hard tissue procedures.

Soft Tissue Procedures

Soft tissue lasers are used to remove or alter soft tissues in the mouth, such as the cheeks, gums, and lips. These types of lasers emit a light wavelength, which hemoglobin (the molecule found in the blood) and water can easily absorb. As these lasers cut into the soft tissue, they’re also sealing off the exposed blood vessels, which is why patients bleed less during laser procedures. Soft Tissue Laser Procedures are sought out for a number of reasons, such as treating periodontal disease (gum disease) or reshaping gums for aesthetic purposes.

Hard Tissue Procedures

In laser dentistry, a hard tissue laser is used primarily on teeth. These lasers emit wavelengths that can cut through the calcium phosphate found in a person’s bones and teeth. These procedures can help prepare a patient for dental fillings or be used to help reshape a patient’s teeth.

Let’s recap the benefits!

Aside from comfortably treating patients, laser dentistry comes with a number of advantages:

Surrounding tissue suffers less damage
The high-energy light beams used in these procedures help with blood clotting, meaning a patient is less likely to bleed during the procedure
The light beams sterilize the surgical site, lessening the patient’s chances of infection
Patients with dental anxiety are less easily triggered

Are there any side effects?

Well just like any common procedure, there’s a chance the patient could experience bruising and swelling. As mentioned before, there’s a very small chance the patient could suffer from an infection, though it’s much less likely with laser treatments!

How Do I Know Whether This Treatment Is Right For Me?

If you’re experiencing discomfort due to canker sores or cold sores, looking for whiter teeth, need a cavity filled or simply wish your gums looked a little different, laser treatment might be for you. The thing is, only once you and your dentist have had a chat, will your dentist know whether or not to recommend this procedure!

Next steps:

Chat with Dr. Avi Kurupati or Dr. Jo Scalzo at Park City Dental about their new laser technology, the Fotona Lightwalker!

Here’s the Official Fotona LightWalker Video:

4602-50 Street Red Deer, Alberta T4N1W9

PARK CITY DENTAL

Category: dentist red deer