Go With the Fluo…ride

Exploring Chemical Reactions in Your Teeth

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Oral Health Subjects: Anatomy, Bacteria, Fluoridation, Oral Disease and Decay, Prevention, Public Health

Keywords: Atom, Subatomic Particle, Ion, Anion, Cation, Electronegativity Demineralization, Remineralization, Fluoride

Learning Goals:

Explain the different parts and types of atoms and elements.
Discover how ions and electronegativity impact chemical reactions in the mouth.
Describe the chemical structure of tooth enamel.
Understand the chemical reactions that cause demineralization and remineralization of tooth enamel.

Educational Standards

National Health Education Standards

Standard 1

1.12.1 Apply ways to build upon strengths and assets to support individual and collective health and well-being

1.12.2 Analyze the relationships between various dimensions of wellness as related to health outcomes

1.12.3 Evaluate behaviors that reduce or prevent illnesses and injuries

1.12.4 Evaluate practices and behaviors that support health and well-being, including how to manage health conditions

Standard 4

4.12.3 Demonstrate how to ask for and offer assistance to support the health of self and others

Standard 5

5.12.1 Analyze how health-related decisions may affect personal and community health and well-being from a variety of perspectives

5.12.4 Analyze a variety of options based on priorities and potential outcomes when making a health-related decision

5.12.5 Analyze the potential impact of a decision on the health and well-being at individual, interpersonal, community, societal, and environmental levels

Standard 7

7.12.2 Evaluate practices, behaviors, and other factors supporting individual and collective health and well-being

7.12.3 Adapt practices and behaviors to support individual and collective health and well-being

7.12.4 Demonstrate a variety of practices and behaviors supporting individual and collective health and well-being

Standard 8

8.12.2 Advocate for health issues either collaboratively or individually to promote health and well-being

8.12.4 Demonstrate self-advocacy skills and strategies to promote health and well-being

Next Generation Science Standards:

Matter and its Interactions

HS-PS1-1 Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms

HS-PS1-2 Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties

HS-PS1-3 Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

HS-PS2-6 Communicate scientific and technical information about why the molecular-level structure is important in the functioning of designed materials