Year 4’s egg experiment shows what drinks do to our teeth

Year 4 have been finding out what different drinks do to our teeth, with a little help from some eggs.

The classes left eggs sitting in different liquids for several days: water, vinegar, fresh orange juice, blackcurrant squash and a sugary energy drink. 4NC even gave theirs names: Eggbert, Egger, Eggman, Shelly and Yolky.

The results were shocking. The eggs from the sugary drinks came out coated in a sticky layer, and when the children tried to brush them clean, bits of shell came away too. The biggest surprise was the egg left in vinegar. Its shell had gone soft, fragile and even rubbery to the touch, because the vinegar had dissolved so much of it.

It sparked lots of discussion in both classes about making healthy choices and looking after our teeth. A lesson that’s likely to stick.