National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-04-05
From the y. Y. Evening Post.
Why Teeth Decay.

To THE EDITORS OF THE EVEN |
ING Posi- A few years ago one of
the oldest dentists of New York
city did the public the kindness to
explain through one of our daily pa
pers why teeth fail and decay, as the
reasons appeared proper to him.
His article was answered by an emf
nent dentist, whose excellent chemi-
cal education enabled him to prove
the reasoning of the first writer I'M
sound, and who. besides, proved
two other things, namely:
1st-nothing but acids decay the
teeth.
2d-They do SO because those or
gans do not contain sufficient phOS-
phate Of lime.
The occasion did not require, nor
did the length of the article admit
of, the subject being carried far
enough to show how the difficulty
could be remedied in individual
cases. Hence the greatest practical
benefit to the public arising from
the short controversy, lay in the
knowledge it derived OF the chemi-
cal process of the decomposition OF
the teeth.
To some minds accustomed to self.
Interrogation or reflection h a t
might be enough for all. The proofs
brought by the critic of the first ar
ticle being conclusive, the next
question arising is, What shall be
done to give the teeth the proper
proportion of phosphate of lime
The simple answer is. eat it ; be-
cause We know Of no other process
by which it can be introduced into
the blood, and unless it is found
there somewhat abundantly it will
never get into the structure of the
teeth, inasmuch as they, like the
rest of the body, are composed of
materials which are brought into
the blood through the digestive or
gans.
In order to seat it'' one must eat
certain kinds of food which are now
coming into general use in cities
ard which contain iii themSelvc
large quantities oflt--such as gritS
Oat meal, Graham bread. one fourtl
of an inch of the surface of potatoes
The reasons, furthermore, may b,
found in the following : the bone o
tooth is composed Of phosphate o
lime to the extent of siXtytwo pc
cent. The enamel has in it abou
eighty per cent. of this phoS
phate, and iflesS than this amoun
is found in proportion to the who'll
tooth, its structure is very eaSl
dissolved away by the ACIDS whicl
form in the mouth, from PARTICLES q
food in process of decomposition
from confectionery and other swcc
things, which in the mouth rapid
acidify.
Some of the above named art
cles OF food should constitute pal
OF the daily diet from the time ,
first evidence of a chld's existcnc
to the fourteenth year of the sam,
at which time the character of til
teeth may be considered finally Sc
tied they will be found of a roo
shade, hard, with an excellent en-
amel covering, without deep seam
crossing each other on the surface
and liable to decay. but the enamc
caps will be found perfectly formc,
"a covering to the bone, which wi,
save the patient an immensely of tca
pain and expense.
The wonder is very often express
cd that the teeth of people of I'll
present day are so ilail, while in pa
generations they have been so niue
more generally sound. 1t woul
not be far from correct to reply tn;
the art of refining flour has now
much more perfectly robbed il of Il
bran of the wheat, that we get fro
our white bread just so much lc,
phosphate of lime also dyspeptic
and those who dread dyspcpsj
knowing they ate potato skins whc
young, blindly say they and sue
trying food injured their stomach,
anu hchce neither thcmSc YES no
Their children are allowed to g,
them and it appears, to SUN it III
ahat the children of the last two gci
erations throughout the civiljzc
part of the world have happened I
be deprived of just the sources ,
the supply of phosphate of lime
their food which has robbed the
blood ofthe wberewith 10 make zoo
teeth and bones, so our teeth am
general bony framework but i'll
compare with those of the backwoo
settlers, who pcrsonatcd our gran,
fathers. and lived more jndcpcn,
entity of fine boiling cloths, and at
up ,ne entire potato, relishing nv,
ahd-lndlan bread, all to cur IRE,
ent mystification and the BLESSING =
their own physical happiness.