Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-01-05
For the Times.

THE TEETH SHOULD BE KEPT CLEAN.
sWhy do the teeth decay % is q question which
Dentists often hear, and are often called upon to
answer. But like the majority Of questions, it il
one more easily asked than answered. The causes
that lead to the decay of the teeth are various as
are the causes that lead to the many other ills,
that flesh and bone are heir to. The first and
greatest one that has directly much bearing on
the tseth is the health of the general system and
of the mouth during the period of their ossifca-
ton or the formation of bone and enamel from
the pulp or germ. If at this period the health OF
the general system is good, and all the bodily
functions healthily performed, especially that of
the mouth, the teeth will be dense in their struct-
ure, perfect in their arrangement, and capable of
resisting many of tho causes of this decay--but
if the general system be deranged and the action
of the salivary ducts of the mouth morbidly af.
fected the teeth will be less dense in their struct
ure lin consequence of the healthy supply of bo-
ny matter being checked) and easily affected by
the causes of decay to which all teeth are expos
ed. Another great cause of their decay is the
universal neglect of proper attention being paid
to the cleanliness of those important organs. All
putrescent and foreign matter that is suffered to
remain between and around the teeth, are not an
indirect but q direct influence to decay them. If
proper attention was paid to the cleanliness Of
the teeth the much dreaded services of the Dem
list would not often be called into requisition.
"All parents who regard cleanliness, teach their
children to wash their hands and fase at least
once a day, but there are few who think to teach
them to clean their teeth even once month. 1t
is well known fact that less attention is paid to
the cleanliness of the teeth than to the dishes out
of which we eat.
Many kinds of medicine have deleterious eff
feet upon the teeth, but none, believe, with
the exception of acids, act directly upon them
Mercury does not-as many suppose-decay the
the teeth. But when administered improperly or
too freely, its action upon the glands, salivating
ducts, and absorbants of the mouth, causes tar
ter to be secreted around and between the teeth
next to the gums in great abundance, this leads to
the absorption of the gums and alveola process,
and often the teeth become 50 loose that they can
be readily taken out with the fingers. have
seen the entire teeth of both jaws so affected by
the use of mercury that their removal became abb
solutely necessary. The accumulation of tarter
around the teeth from whatever cause, will soon
er or later-if not properly removed, and remov-
ed in time-cause them to become so loose, and
the gums SO spongy and inaamed, that extraction
is the only remedy have in my note book a
case of young lady of Is years, who, from the
accumulation of tarter, lost nearly the whole of
her under teeth. She had taken no medicine, and
was apparently in good health.-Every remedy
to bring the gums back to their natural state,
tried failed. She had to hay. them extracted,
and now wears artificial set. All this can he
prevented with the exception of cases of saliva.
ton. Tartcr when first deposited is soft, and of
a whitish appearance. BY the daily use of the
brush and water, and occasionally of some good
denri6ce, not only will the teeth, mouth, and the
gums be kept clean and healthy, but the accumu-
lation of tarter will be stopped and the tendency
of the glands of the mouth to secrete it will be in
great measure checked.
By far too little attention is paid to the clean
illness of the teeth If any part of the human sys-
tenn requires attention and cleanliness, the mouth
does. And what can be more disgusting to per-
son of refined mind and clearly habits, than to
see and come in contact with mouth full of
filthy, dirty teeth. Clean, we'll polished teeth, are
indicative of refined mind. Many persons teeth
decay so rapidly that no amount Of care and fill
ing seems to prevent them. But nine tenth of the
teeth can be saved by proper care, and early at
tention to their cleanliness. No one appreciates
the value of their teeth, if good, until they loose
them and are forced to wear artificial ones. p.