AboutWalter Hintz Expertise Science teacher for over 50 years. MSc. in biology. I can answer questions in general biology, zoology, botany, anatomy and physiology and biochemistry.
Experience I have a MSc in biology and have been a science teacher for over 50 years. At present I am a faculty member at a college and a science consultant at seven catholic schools.
Publications The Ohio journal of Science
Momentum-The Journal of the Catholic Education Association
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Biology - Comparing the effects of sugar on teeth to calcium and fluoride
Question I read somewhere that I could use eggs to replace teeth because they are both mainly calcium. Is this true? Could i brush an eggshell and then place it in a vinegar/water solution and have an eggshell that is not brushed placed in the same vinegar/water solution to show the importance of brushing.-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
Will an old baby tooth soaked in a crushed calcium supplement and a crushed fluoride supplement mixed with a little bit of water effect the tooth in any way? I am trying to prove that calcuim and fluoride strengthen teeth for my science project. I dont want the "outcome". I just want to know if i am going about this the right way. Basically, is there anyway to "strengthen/protect" my old baby tooth?
Answer -
Hi Vic;
Sorry to duscourage you but I do not believe that this would affect the tooth in any way. Teeth do not decay after they are no longer in your mouth. Putting calcium ofn the outside of a tooth does not effect it. The calcium has to be metabolized by the body before it becomes part or the tooth structure. The same is true for fluorine.
As far as testing proceedure you could not arrive at any results anyway because you are not using controls. You need a tooth that is not being treated so you can compare. Even if you use more teeth you will have to find away to measure the results.
Dental studies are conducted on teeth that are still in the mouth.
Answer What is your hypothesis regarding this second idea? What do you expect to happen by brushing the egg shell. We know that acetic acid will cause some of the shell to dissolve. Do you think that there is something on the eggshell that prevents this and that can be brushed off. perhaps there is and this can be tested but I do not believe that you can establish a relationship between this and brushing teeth.
A hypothyesis for this study could be :
"Eggshells have a protective covering that protects the egg from decalsification"
