The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-04-19
Save Your Teeth,

at requires only that the teeth be
taken care of to save them"
Let parents see that children's first
teeth are extracted in due time, so that
the teeth can grow naturally and prop
erly. Then see that the children
keep their teeth clean. A tooth-pick
should be used after each meal to re-
move any particles of food that have
lodged between the teeth. The tooth
pick should not be made of steel or
silver, or gold. Nothing metallic should
be used for this purpose. A quill IS
good, but a wooden n is best. 1t
should be made of young, tough
hickory. Take a small stick of young
green hickory, and with a po~cket-knife
make a dozen, trimming them to the
proper length, breadth, thickness and
points. and put them in your pocket.
They will be we'll seasoned in a day /;
and they have exactly the hardness
and elasticity which are necessary,
and will not ~injure the teeth or gums,
Il quill pick sometimes CUTS the gums.
Then a tooth-pick should be fie,ly
used, at least twice a day. 1t is best
to wash the teeth after every meal, but
it should always be done Immediately
after breakfast, and just before retir-
ing at night. No one should go to
bed with uncleansed teeth
Many persons do not know how to
apply a toothbrush. 1t should not
be used simply upon the exposed
parts of the teeth, but the rough EMS
of the bristles should be turned up
ward and downward. and rubbed rap
idly and heavily against the gums,
and inserted as deeply under their
edges toward the roots of the teeth as
possible.
Do not quit this rubbing because
the gums bleed, but persist in it.
J Cleanliness will soon make the gums
healthy, and they will bleed no more,
hut will become tough, hard, and
sound The breath will cease to be
foul, or if ir is offensive. it will pro-
coed from a disordered stomach, or
some other such cause The teeth
will not decay from external causes
most probably not at all ; but if they
do, it will proceed from the stomach
or some organic, or physical defect
Do not try to make the teeth white,
any further than TO keep them clean.
They naturally have a yellowish color
in many persons, and cannot be made
white without serious damage. Dc
not scour them with charcoal. or sand,
or acids. This only wears off the en
amel and hastens their decay. Cold
water is the only dentrifice needed,
unless the teeth and gums are really
diseased, in which case the competent
physician or dentist should be con
suited.
Then the teeth should be carefully
examined by a good dentist, once,
twice, or three times every year. L
he finds nothing to do, all right-nc
cost will attach to tine examination
but the first signs OF decay should al
ways be detected before aching or Sc
rious damage ensues, and plugging
should be at once resorted to. Plug
ging, if we'll done, will save teeth in
almost every case. The writer has
several teeth now, perfectly sound and
healthy. which had large cavities in
them filled fifteen years ago. They
had often ached severely before being
filed, but have not ached since. Plug.
ging teeth is costly, but it is not halt
as costly rs ~tcpthache, decayed teeth,
extracting teeth, doing without teeth.
or having artificial teeth.