Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi. My science project question is How different drinks affect teeth? I plan on placing three teeth in dishes with one of the four liquids (coke, diet coke, coffee, water) I will be using. I will measure them by the week for three week to see if the liquid they were in cause them to erode at all. I will measure them by grains. Now I have to write a background research paper and I have a ton of notes on teeth in general but I also need some notes on chemical reactions and the chemical composition on the liquids I will be using. I need help with the last two. Any help is appreciated.

Hi,

Here a few resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth_enamel

http://www.wisegeek.com/do-soft-drinks- ... enamel.htm

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dentistry-96 ... roject.htm

http://www.wellsphere.com/wellpage/rebuild-tooth-enamel

Another idea is to talk to your dentist. I suspect he wi or she would be delighted to explain anything you don’t understand.

Have fun!

Best regards,

Barrett L. Tomslinson

Hi there.

You have a great project, and I expect you will see some interesting results!

For the chemical composition of your liquids, I have a few resources for you.

Coca-Cola: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola_formula
Make sure you also look at the can or bottle, so you can see the differences between the ingredients listed for Coke and Diet Coke.

Coffee: http://www.hsegroup.com/caffiene.htm

I hope that helps. Let us know how your project progresses!

Cheers,
Heather