DENTAL HEALTH ACTIVITY
The Effect of Acid on Teeth

The bacteria in our mouth combines with the sugar in the food we eat to form an acid. This acid "eats" away at the surface of the tooth. Over a period of time repeated acid attacks can remove enough of the tooth surface away to form a cavity in the tooth.

Materials Needed for Activity

• Glass container

• Cola drink

• Penny

1. Pour cola in the glass container and then place the penny inside.
2. Discuss with the children what effect they think the cola will have on the penny.
3. Let the penny sit in the cola overnight.
4. Observe the fact that the cola "ate" the coating of debris from the coin.
5. Discuss the comparison between what happened to the penny to the effect of acid attacks on the surface of our teeth.