PURPOSE
The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of an electric
toothbrush versus a manual toothbrush on the removal of stains on
dentures.
I became interested in this idea because I wanted to find out which
toothbrush actually works better and I wanted to find out a little bit
more about dental hygiene as a career option.
The information gained from this experiment would help people to understand
which is a better choice for a toothbrush.
HYPOTHESIS
My hypothesis was that an electric toothbrush would clean more effectively
on stains, compared to a manual toothbrush.
I based my hypothesis on the book Dental Health which stated, "Electric
toothbrushes are small enough to reach into inaccessible areas and clear
away stains and plaque more effectively than hand brushes."
EXPERIMENT DESIGN
The constants in this study were:
-
Amount and type of stain
-
Amount of time stains are on dentures
-
Kind of dentures
-
Kind of toothpaste
-
Amount of toothpaste
-
Amount of pressure by brush
-
Amount of time brushing occurred
-
Temperature of water
The manipulated variable was the kind of toothbrush used.
The responding variable was the stain removed from dentures.
To measure the responding variable I used a colorimeter to determine
the whiteness of the cleaned dentures.
MATERIALS
| QUANTITY |
ITEM DESCRIPTION |
| 1 |
electric toothbrush |
| 1 |
manual toothbrush |
| 2 |
dentures |
| 1 |
tube crest tooth paste |
| 1 |
digital timer |
| 1 |
triple beam balance |
| 1 |
graduated cylinder |
|
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PROCEDURES
1. Start with clean dentures.
2. Use a graduated cylinder to pour 50 ml each of coffee, grape juice,
and tea into a large container. Mix stains thoroughly.
3. Stain dentures for one hour in the mixed stain in a container.
4. Put one gram of Crest cavity protection toothpaste on the toothbrush.
5. Place dentures on triple beam balance, set to 100 grams.
6. Apply pressure to brush until triple beam balance equalizes to 100
grams.
7. Brush for two minutes.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 with other toothbrush on the right side.
9. Measure the amount of whiteness with a colorimeter.
A. Put one tooth on colorimeter
B. Push "sample" on computer
C. Test 3 times on one tooth
D. Do the same with the next teeth
RESULTS
The original purpose of this experiment was to find out whether electric
or manual toothbrushes worked better on the cleaning of dentures.
The results of the experiment were that a manual toothbrush worked better.
See the table and graph
CONCLUSION
My hypothesis was that an electric toothbrush would work better.
The results indicate that this hypothesis should be rejected because
a manual toothbrush worked better.
Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if I had used a
different amount s of toothpaste would the results be different.
If I were to conduct this project again I would do more
trails and use a stronger amount of stains.
Research Report
Introduction
Clean teeth are important for your health, appearance, and digestion.
To have clean teeth you have to brush and floss every single day to prevent
tooth decay and other damage that can happen to your mouth.
Parts of a Tooth
Enamel is a hard material that covers your teeth. Enamel is one of
the hardest part of your teeth. Dentin is another important tooth material,
which is inside the enamel in your teeth. Dentin is a yellow structure.
The dentin is Nerves inside of the tooth. When you get a cavity it leaves
the dentin open and this is where pain comes from. The pulp is in the center
of the tooth. Pulp contains blood vessels and nerves. The pulp protects
the nerves so they can send messages to your brain. Cemetum is the material
that covers the root of the tooth and also attaches the teeth to the jaw.
Cause of Cavities
Bacteria constantly grow in your mouth on teeth, gums, lips, and tongue.
Some bacteria can be harmful but most are not, some are even helpful. Certain
bacteria stick to hard surfaces like enamel that covers your teeth. If
this bacteria is not removed, build-up can occur and grow. As colonies
form, more bacteria of different types attach to the colonies growing on
the teeth enamel. They form a sticky invisible film, called plaque which
creates acid that dissolves holes, causing cavities.
Mineral salts in your saliva help add hardness to teeth, however they
are prone to attack by acids. Acid causes mineral salts to break down.
Plaque forms on teeth that don’t get washed. Acid is created when bacteria
eat sugar. This acid produces plaque that can’t be easily washed away by
saliva. Acid eats tooth enamel and then tiny holes appear which get bigger.
This also causes a cavity.
Brushing teeth alone is not enough to clean all the plaque from the
surface of your teeth. In the space between your teeth and your gum line
are two spots that a toothbrush can’t reach well and plaque can’t be removed
easily, this is a reason why you should floss every day.
Why Does it take so Long to for a Toothache to Occur?
It’s important to see your dentist before a cavity forms so the plaque
that can’t be removed by brushing or flossing can be remove by the dentist
with special tools.
The body sends pain messages through nerve fibers. While acid is attacking
the enamel you can’t feel anything, but once acid has created a cavity
it attacks dentin under the enamel, so nerve fibers in the dentin begin
to send out a message that something is wrong. When that happens you feel
tooth pain and you know for sure that you have a cavity.
Clean Teeth
Dentists advise people to brush their teeth after every meal and use
dental floss every day to clean the area under the gum line. Bacteria digest
certain foods, particularly sugars that form enamel acids. Brushing and
flossing remove bacteria and acids.
Dentists advise parents to teach and help children from ages two to
three to brush their teeth so they can start learning the proper techniques.
A parent should help their child brush their teeth until they are old enough
to do it alone. Parents should schedule oral health appointments around
their child’s first birthday. The dentist will check for cavities in primary
teeth. You should allow a child to discuss any fears he or she might have
about the dentist.
People should go to the dentist at least once a year for a check up.
Children should start going after their deciduous teeth have erupted.
Dentists treat diseases at an early age. They also provide services
to help people learn how to clean teeth better. In a check up dentists
examine teeth, gums, and other tissues to look for diseases. Dentists may
X-ray teeth. That helps them locate tooth decay that can’t be seen on the
surface. It also shows abnormal formations with the jaw or any other tissue
that support teeth.
Summary
Brushing your teeth is important. Just take a couple minutes out of
the day and brush and floss. You will have a clean mouth and a nice smile.
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