Science experiment: Make your own toothpaste at home

Did you know that all you need are a few things from the kitchen and you can create some homemade toothpaste?

Ingredients

Plastic cup

Stir sticks

Calcium carbonate (crushed antacid tablets)

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)

Sweetener

Food coloring

Flavoring

Instructions

STEP 1: Mix 1 tablespoon of calcium carbonate and 1/4 tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate with water into a plastic cup and stir until you have a paste.

STEP 2: Add a drop or two of food coloring to give the paste a pleasing appearance.

STEP 3: Add a drop or two of flavoring and some sweetener for taste.

Explanation

The baking soda and crushed antacid tablets act as abrasives to help remove plaque.

KFVS12 and the Southeast Missourian are teaming up for science. Every Tuesday you'll find an experiment from the KFVS Heartland Science Lab in the Class of 2morrow section of the Southeast Missourian. Grab the ingredients and join KFVS science reporter Jason Lindsey live on KFVS at 5 p.m. every Wednesday. More science experiences are at www.kfvs12.com and www.semissourian.com.