The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-19
Easel ofsmoLing Upon .he Teelh.

bttAAA Ata4sAl tuuIlAs
AT recent meeting OF the odontologi
cal Society Of Great Britain, Mr.. Hepburn
read paper on this subject; and the re
suits Of his investigations on the subject
are contrary 10 what Is, we believe, the
popular notion. he considers that the d.
rect action Of nicotine upon the teeth il
decidedly beneficial. The alkalinity oil
the smoke must necessarily neuHRlize any
acid secretion which may be present In
the oral cavity, and the antiscptic proper.
~ Of the nicotine tends to arrest putEelac.
tive changes In caFious cavities. In add.
ton, he Is inclined 10 believe that the
dark deposit on the teeth OF some habiIual
smokers Is largely composed Of the carbon
with which tobacco smoke Is impregnated.
Ills this carbon which Is deposited upon
the back part Of the throat and lining
membranes Of the bronchial tubes; and
with whatever disastrous effect 1t may act
In these situations, he thinks we are JUST.
fed, from what we known oiits antiseptic
properties, in concluding that It's action
upon the teeth must be beneficial.
Moreover, this deposit takes place ex.
actly in those positions where carries are
most likely to arise, and on those surfaces
OF the teeth which escape the ordinary
cleansing action Of the brush. It Is found
lnterstitially, in all minute depressions,
and filling the assures on the coronal sur.
lAces. It may be removed with scaling IN.
stTuments from the surface OF the enamel,
but where 1t is deposited ON dentine, this
structure becomes impregnated and
stained. Indeed, 1t is only where the
enamel is faulty, and there is access TO the
dentine, that any true discoloration OF the
tooth takes place; but II is remarkable, he
says, how the stain will penetrate through
even minute cracks, provided the recess.
airy attention to cleanliness be not exer-
cised: The staining power Of tobacco-oil
may be seen when Q deposit has taken
place on the porous surface OF tartar col.
lected on the posterior surface of the in.
ierior incisors. In this situation shiny
ebony appearance is occasionally pro-
duced. That tobacco Is capable Of allay.
ing, TO some extent, the pain OF toothache
Is, he thinks. true; its effect being due, not
only to its narcoticizing power, but also TO
Its direct action upon the exposed nerve
and he Is inclined TO attribute the fact Of
the comparatively rareoccurrence oitooth.
ache amongst sailors, in great measure
to their habit Of chewing.
He has been struck, in the case OF one
or two confirmed smokers who have come
under his notice, by the apparent tenden-
cy which exists toward the gradual pro-
duction Of complete necrosis OF carious
teeth, and the various stages OF death Of
the pulp, and death OF the periosteum
taking place without pain or discomfort 10
the patient. This condition may, OF course.
bebrought about by a variety OF influences.
but in these special cases he Is inclined to
think that the presence Of nicotine in the
mouth has acted powerfully. The expert
ence Of other speakers in the subsequent
discussion appeared TO corroborate that OF
Mr.. Hepburn, except that Oakley Coles
thought the frequent changes OF tempera.
ture probably injurious and tending to
produce cracking Of the enamel, and Ar
thur Underwood thought that smoking to
heextent Of injury to digestion tended TO
cause recession of the gums and otherwise
to iuiure the nutrition Of the teeth.