Create a tooth from a sheet of paper or make a three-dimensional tooth using clay and papier-mache. The papier-mache creates a hard protective shell around the clay. Make either type of tooth as large as you want. Do this project during National Children's Dental Health Month in February for a class activity. Kids can color in a flat paper tooth, or you can run a brush over either tooth model to demonstrate brushing techniques.
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Things You'll Need
Pencil
Bowl
Newspaper
Paintbrush
Clay
Scissors
White Paint
White Glue
Spoon
Card Stock Or Construction Paper
Water
Simple Paper Tooth
Step 1
Draw the outline of a tooth on card stock or construction paper. Draw a horizontal oval as wide as you want the tooth to be. Erase the bottom curve of the oval and draw an upside-down U between the bottom ends of the oval to make the roots.
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Step 2
Cut out the tooth with scissors.
Step 3
Use the pencil to shade in the top of the tooth.
Papier-Mache Tooth
Step 1
Roll a ball of clay in your hand and pinch the sides to make it into a rounded cube at least 4 inches high.
Step 2
Roll four short strips of clay and form them into U shapes. Gently press the bottom of each U shape into each side of the cube.
Step 3
Mold the clay with your fingers until the U shapes resemble the roots of a tooth and the top of the cube looks like its crown. Your clay tooth should be at least 5 inches tall and 4 inches wide.
Step 4
Pour 1 cup of white glue in a bowl. Mix it with 1 cup of water.
Step 5
Tear newspapers into strips that are 6 inches long and 2 inches wide. Torn edges are easier to smooth down in the papier-mache process, according to SpookyBlue.
Step 6
Dip a newspaper strip into the glue mixture. Use your fingers to squeeze the excess glue off as you raise it out of the liquid.
Step 7
Lay the wet strip over the clay tooth, following its contours.
Step 8
Dip and wrap strips until the tooth is covered in a layer of newspaper. Let dry and repeat the process until the clay tooth is covered in three layers of papier-mache.
Step 9
Paint the dry tooth model white.