The Arizona champion., 1891-02-21
CARE OF THE TEETH. Never too Early to see the
 Dentist.
DANGER OF USING POWDERED CHARCOAL
Several Good Suggestions. = False
 Teeth.

The other day l sat down in my dent ist's chair comfortably, knowing that what was about to be done would not be at all painful or annoying, and while he was getting ready his various instru- ments asked, inquiringly:
 "Bostonians have very good teeth, as a rule, haven't they?"
 The dentist smiled. Teeth, as a rule, are rather good than bad the world over, in these days" he said. People are gradually waking up to the fact that it is never too soon to attend to children s teeth, and, as a result, they come into our hands at so early an age that we are able to correct any irregularities in growth, and to look after them so care fully at regular intervals that a fine set is assured. A baby should have a tooth brush as soon as he has tooth, and it should be used, too, carefully and judi ciously, always once, and generally twice, a day. First teeth very often decay, and need filling just as much as the second, and one cannot be too particular about these things"
 "Does the second set usually come as it ought to come, without any assistance from dentistT said I, anxiously, think ing of my infant nephew, who was just then cutting the eye teeth of his first set, and decidedly taking time by the fore lock.
 He smiled again. "Well, should say itis always safer and wiser to consult the brotherhood, observed he. ''Then there is no risk. Although those teeth which grow crookedly can be made to take their proper place after a time, with little attention they will come properly upon their first appearance, and a good deal of needless trouble and perhaps sui fering would be saved Modern dentistry as you well know, works miracles. The only thing it hasn't succeeded in doing is to induce thir6 set of teeth to grow, and l fear that is something which science will never achieve But there is no req son why every one should not have at least fair set of teeth, which, with proper care, will tide them safely over a natural existence"
 ''What do you mean by proper care? Brushing frequently and coming often to you?"
 "They ought to be brushed after every meal, or certainly at night and morning. But one cannot be too careful as to the sort of tooth powder one uses. l very Ol oOO POWuCICu CudICOdl dufOCdI6u Ul newspaper writers and quacks. Now, nothing is more injurious to the teeth than powdered charcoal. It is in reality carbon, the hardest substance known, of the same nature precisely as the diamond. Its constant use cannot help wearing of the enamel and othe1 wise seriously nffoot- ing the teeth, and, except in rare cases, and seldom, 1t should never be put upon a brush or into the mouth. Of course, each dentist has his own particular powder which he advocates and advises in prefer ence to all others, but this is question upon which his opinion should most as suredly be asked. If he Is consulted often, and allowed to examine the teeth at re- gular stated intervals, the cure of them will be far less painful, and they will naturally be kept in much better order.
 People are apt to be negligent, perhaps because they dread the discomfort of the dentists chair. If they only knew, how ever, how very much better ones own teeth are than any artificial set, they would never hesitate about preferring any amount of filling to pulling out. A good dentist never advises the latter alternative unless it is absolutely unavoidable. False teeth, 1 regret to say, are rather fashion able in a certain class of humanity-the lower class, whose principal faculty is the initiative. Mrs Jones, who really needs it, has all her upper teeth drawn, and is provided with new set, white, even, and of the finest porcelain. Thereupon Mrs. Brown, whose molars and bicuspids are sound as a trivet, seized with bangs of envy, goes and does likewise, and regrets her folly ever after But the deed is done, and teeth, once out, can never be put back That is an axiom everybody ought to re- member. ."-Boston Herald.