What it shows
We have different teeth for different jobs: cutting, tearing and grinding. A model helps us remember them and brush each properly.
The science
The front teeth, called incisors, cut food. The pointed teeth next to them, called canines, tear. The big back teeth, called molars, crush and grind. Brushing twice a day removes food and germs that cause cavities.
Materials
Cost: free. Many items come from home or from waste; spare parts such as LEDs, motors and wire are in the store.
- A cardboard egg carton with 12 cups (free)
- White paint or white paper
- Pink or red paper for the gums
- Scissors and glue
- A marker
- An old toothbrush
Safety
For this project: An adult must cut the carton. Do not use a toothbrush after it has been used on teeth.
Never use mains electricity: power models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Sharp and hot tools, flames and lab chemicals need an adult or your teacher beside you. Keep magnets, button cells and small parts away from young children, and wash your hands after making.
All the safety rulesStep by step
8 steps. Do them in order, and test each part before you go on to the next. Write what you notice in a notebook as you go.
Cut the egg carton in half along its length to make a long strip of six cups.
Paint the cups white and let them dry.
Cut a pink gum strip from paper and glue it along the base.
Mark the two middle cups as incisors, the next ones as canines and the big ones as molars.
Write the name on each tooth with a marker.
Use an old toothbrush to show how to brush the front, the back and the top of each tooth.
Count how many of each type you have in your mouth, with a mirror.
Tell a friend the job of each tooth and how long to brush.
What you should see
You have a colourful tooth model with each type labelled and you can show correct brushing.
Viva questions
A teacher or a judge will ask how it works. Try to answer each question before you open it, then compare.
1Which teeth cut food?
Incisors.
2Which teeth grind food?
Molars.
3How many times a day should we brush?
Twice.
4Why does brushing matter?
It removes food and germs that make cavities.
Take it further
Count your own teeth with a mirror and record how many milk teeth have fallen out.
Change one thing, measure what happens, and add a table or chart of your readings: that is what turns a model into your own investigation.
Free ebooks for this project
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