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What the equation says to me is that acidity sets the stage for tooth damage, but as bad as that is, once you start feeding the bacteria in that set stage, you are in real trouble.

However, the entire article is a hypothesis. It is a best guess by somebody with scientific knowledge, but there is no reason to believe the real formula shouldn't be 10^(5.5-ph)+10(mg/cl sugar) or something completely different.

However, my son and daughter both need a science fair project soon. I wonder if there is a way to formalize this a little.




How about the following:

1. Find a substance that is chemically tooth-like

2. Split it into predefined volumes (little cubes or spheres)

3. Add the beverage and saliva to the "tooth", wait a month, and measure the decrease in "tooth" volume.

4. Use regression to estimate the coefficients for sugar, pH, and whatever else.


You would be missing the bacteria, which are essential.




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