Brushing Up on Chemistry

In this Activity, students make their own toothpaste and use various tests to compare its properties with those of commercial toothpaste. This includes testing its ability to remove stains from the dyed shells of hard-boiled eggs. The Activity allows students to discover more about a cleaning product they use every day. Areas for discussion include the differences between an eggshell and tooth enamel, the use of cleaning or whitening agents, and the facts that a homemade toothpaste costs less, does not contain fluoride, and is more abrasive (which might damage tooth enamel).