The+Effects+of+Citric+Acid+and+Sugar+on+Enamel


 * THE AFFECTS OF SUGAR AND CITRIC ACID ON TEETH. Daniel Preus.** The purpose of this experiment was to test the affects of sugar and citric acid on teeth with water as a control. Chemically, the reaction between enamel, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2(//s)//, and citric acid, C6H8O7, and sugar,C6H12O6, was being observed. Three solutions were created and three whole teeth along with two half teeth were placed in the solutions under close observation. Beginning with five minutes of exposure, exposure time was increased by five minutes over three consecutive days. After four days the teeth had no visible changes and were placed in the solutions over a three day weekend under constant exposure. Results were found only after the weekend where the sugar solution discolored the teeth from off white to yellow. The citric acid solution weakened the enamel which then peeled away and also decayed the inside of the half tooth to what appeared to be a black cavity.

Keywords: solution, enamel, sugar, citric acid and decayed