The Importance of Brushing Teeth - Part II

Last week we examined the importance of brushing your teeth as a preventative measure to defend against the acid found in foods.  This week we'll examine another way in which regular tooth brushing prevents problems - preventing tooth stains. 

This experiment is run much the same way as last week's.  You'll cover an egg with toothpaste, let it sit overnight and wash off the toothpaste the next day.

The egg is then placed in a cup of coffee (or strong tea).  A second, untreated egg is placed in a second cup of coffee.

The eggs are then allowed to sit and are observed over the course of the next 24 hours - or even longer if you wish.

You will notice that the untreated egg develops darker stains and develops them more quickly than the treated egg. 

You'll also notice that the treated egg does develop stains - the toothpaste does not completely prevent that from occurring, it just slows it. 

Untreated



Treated with toothpaste



So, when you brush your teeth,, you're building up protection against future stains as well as removing older stains.