Teacher sheet · Ages 6–7 · about 45–50 minutes
My teeth
Lesson page: echoesof.science/school/teeth/ages-6-7/ · Pupil worksheet: echoesof.science/school/teeth/ages-6-7/print/
Learning aims
- Know that we have milk teeth first and adult teeth later.
- Know that different teeth cut, tear and grind.
- Know that bacteria make acid from sugar and that acid harms teeth.
- Know how to brush: twice a day, about 2 minutes, spit don't rinse.
Lesson plan
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: who has a wobbly tooth or a gap? Count teeth with your tongue. |
| 10 min | Read the text together; point to front and back teeth in a mirror or picture. |
| 15 min | Set up the egg experiment (look again the next day). |
| 5 min | Game: Happy teeth? |
| 10 min | Quiz and worksheet. |
Materials for the experiment
- 2 eggs (hard-boiled is less messy)
- 2 clear cups or jars
- Water
- White vinegar
- A magnifying glass (optional)
Safety: An adult pours the vinegar. Vinegar stings if it gets in your eyes, so don't rub your eyes and wash your hands afterwards. Wash hands after touching eggs. Do not eat the eggs. Check for egg allergies first.
Common misconceptions
| Pupils may think… | Actually… |
|---|---|
| Milk teeth don't matter because they fall out. | We use them for eating for many years (until about age 6–12), and they can decay too, so they need brushing just like adult teeth. |
| You should rinse your mouth with water after brushing. | Spit, don't rinse: rinsing washes the fluoride away. |
| Only sweets harm teeth. | Any time we eat or drink sugar or starch, bacteria can make acid; how often matters. |
Worksheet answers
- Front teeth (incisors) at the front; big flat molars at the back.
- Twice a day.
- True.
- The germs on our teeth use the sugar to make acid, and acid harms the enamel.
Quiz answers
- How many milk teeth do children have? 20. Children have 20 milk teeth.[5]
- What is the hardest stuff in your body? Tooth enamel. Enamel, the outside of the tooth, is the hardest stuff in the body.[5]
- What do your big back teeth do? Crush and grind food. Back teeth (molars) crush and grind.[4]
- What do germs on your teeth make from sugar? Acid. Bacteria use sugar to make acid.[3]
- After brushing with fluoride toothpaste you should… spit, but not rinse. Not rinsing lets the fluoride keep working.[1]
Going further
Make a class tooth-loss chart: each time someone loses a milk tooth, add a sticker. Which teeth come out first?
Sources used in this lesson
- [1] Taking care of children's teeth (NHS (UK National Health Service)): reliability High
- [3] The Tooth Decay Process (children's oral health) (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIH, USA)): reliability High
- [4] Tooth (anatomy) (Encyclopaedia Britannica): reliability High
- [5] Anatomy and Physiology 2e, 23.3 The Mouth, Pharynx, and Esophagus (OpenStax, Rice University (Oregon State University open edition)): reliability High
- [10] ChemShorts for Kids: eggs, soda and tooth enamel (Chicago Section of the American Chemical Society (ChemShorts series by Paul Brandt)): reliability Medium-high
- [11] Dental health and acid science experiment (teeth.org.au (Australian dental health education site; the PDF does not name its author)): reliability Medium
Full list with links and a note on each source's reliability: echoesof.science/school/teeth/sources/
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