The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-04-12
|CHILDREN'S TEETH
DIR. w. d. JAMES, OF TRACY,
READS A VALUABLE PAPER.
The Southern minnesota Dentists
Elect Officers, Appoint Committees
and Adjourn = Dental Institutes,
Open to the Public, Suggested.

HOU IdSSCO. III. ~. W. bdIlCy, VI pO'
Paul, gave his lecture on ''Bonwills
Law" last night, illustrating and eX-
planning it in an interesting manner.
The members were rather slow in
coming around at the morning ses-
sion, and the ranks were thinned,
some of the doctors having taken the
morning trains for home.
The first thing on the program was
an able paper by DR.. w. d. James, OF
Tracy, on the subject, "Our Children
and the Care of Their Teeth" His
paper was as follows:
The care of %deciduOuS teeth is a
matter which by a great many is too
much overlooked. We all know that
much good can be obtained by a due
consideration of this subject if we
will only give it thought. l believe of
all the subjects written upon this one
receives the least attention. We
know that it is only of late years that
deciduous teeth have received any
consideration relative to their preser-
walton, but why they have escaped
the dentists care SO long remains a
mystery.
Perhaps our children of today are
not as free from decay and disease as
they formerly were, but there is one
thing sure, they are receiving better
care now than they have heretofore,
and yet there is a large field for i'm
provement. Before going further, L
will say that [ do not intend to go
into the subject too deep, but do be-
lieVe that there car be a great deal OF
good done by commencing the treat
ment before the children are born, by
prospective mothers in their duty to
their offspring as well as themselves.
They should be taught of what the
system is composed and what the
effect is upon both mother and child.
They should also be taught what
foods are necessary to supply the needs
in such cases, and that the germs of
the teeth are formed as early as the
fifth or sixth week of fetal life, that
the teeth become nearly soliditied be-
fore birth, and that during the period
of l~actation the diet should be a very
important factor in producing strong
teeth.
EWe hear and read of a great many
methods OF preventing and arrestlng
decay, filing teeth, etc, but for the
most part it is for teeth that have
been erupted, and but little new can
be said in that direction; a little,
however, is a step forward.
The first thing of Importance in the
care of children's teeth is to insist
upon cleanliness. A child ever so
small can be taught to use a small
soft tooth brush. The Temporary
teeth to them are Of as much impor-
lance as the permanent ones to the
adult. Much pain can be saved with
little effort by the proper use OF the
brush, and as they grow older it will
become a habit which will be perma-
nent. The deciduous teeth should be
filled as soon as decay appears, thus
avoiding any unnecessary pain. But
what they shall be filled with depends
upon the circumstances very much.
Children will come to you who are in
terror Of their lives, they have heard
such terrible tales OF suffering at the
hands of the dentist; nowOnder the
poor little souls are frightened. In
such cases as these, my first aim is to
gain their confidence by showing them
something to interest them; give
them a ride in the Wilkerson chair
and work with them until they see
that you are not as bad a man as they
had supposed. Very often | do not
attempt to do any work the first visit,
and in the majority of cases they will
be anxious to come again.
The paper proceeds to state how a
child can become accustomed to the
use of the engine, and how best to
use it with children. The filling of
the cavities, and what to use is re-
ferred to in detail. Devitalizing is
favored in cases where deciduous
teeth cannot be saved by Gaping.
"There is not much trouble in sue
ceeding with children if n purSues
the right course and approaches them
in the right way. Treat them kindly,
be gentle, patient and sympathetic;
gain their esteem by pleasant words,
and your success is assured. There is
nothing more satisfactory to the
mother, child or yourself than the
successful care and treatment of the
child's teeth. Be thorough in your
work, earn their confidence by your
sound advice and good Judgment, and
the results will amply repay you for
all your trouble, and the family will
remain your future patrons"
An interesting discussion followed,
participated in by Drs. Wood. Snow,
Stearns, Bailey and others. They
generally disagreed with the paper on
the subject of devitalizing. 1t was
also held that the mothers diet, eX-
ercise and general ~healthiness is more
important than the taking of food
particularly intended to develop the
teeth. In the ordinary food eaten
there is plenty of bone material, if it
is properly assimilated, and the latter
must be looked after. 1t was held
that children's first teeth must be
carefully looked after, and several of
the doctors gave instances where they
had filled teeth of their own or other
peoples children who were not yet
two years old.
1t was decided not to hold an after
noon session, and the morning session
was prolonged until l o'clock to allow
of the business meeting.
The following officers were elected
for the ensuing wear