The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-02-21
WHYEDogouR TEETH DEcAY7
Se7eral Theories Advanced.of Which Yon
Take Your Choice.

Sereral Theories Advanced:of Which You
| Take Your Choice.
For a long time the question as to
why the teeth decay has been the theme
| of speculation. One of the theories is
that by bolting our flour we take out
of our food certain minerals which are
important for sound structure, and
their absence causes the teeth to be
fragile, to easily crack and break, and
this process once begun, they soon 60
to pieces. The remedy prescribed was
whole meal bread. There are good
many people who believe their teeth
have been saved by this prescription.
Others, have, however, failed to save
theirs by it.
Another plausible story, which never
gained much recognition, was the op-
position; it was that the teeth are
kept from decay, not by mineral mat
ter, but by abundance of living matter
in them, the so-called protoplasm.
The living matter keep the teeth alive
and in repair.
a third theory is the one most dent
lists have adopted. 1t is that cleanli-
ness will keep the teeth from decay
and nothing else will. A majority Of
US have settled down to this as cor
rect, so far as it goes. Still another
theory was suggested in this journal
many years ago, that the teeth do not
get sufficient exercise on the soft food
eaten by a majority of people, and that
the remedy is more hard food. This
necessitates chewing, which brings
more blood into the organs, and they
are better nourished and so become
strong enough to resist decay. This
theory has also received favorable
recognition and acceptance by many
dentists and Psychologists, but in prac-
tice little has been done to realize it.
Still another theory has recently been
suggested. 1t is that the fifth pair Of
aranial nerves which supplies the teeth
and also supplies many other parts is
overworked in our western races, and
does not carry to them sufficient nerve
force to produce perfect nutrition.
The facts which support it are that the
Indians and negroes and other uncivil-
lied races almost invariably have
splendid teeth. An examination Of
the mouths of ten of the Indians in
'Buffalo Bills" Wild West Show
showed no decay in them. 1t showed
more or less wear on the grinding sur
faces, which comes from eating hard
food. This gives them plenty of exer-
| else, and so it is difficult to decide
whether it is the work that makes them
strong, or more abundant nerve force
from less overworked nervous systems.
There is, no doubt, some truth for
al these theories. Fragile teeth will
decay, no matter how well they are
cleaned. Strong teeth will often re-
main sound with no care whatever.
Still, care of the teeth is useful. But
what is most needed is strong teeth,
and no doubt but exercise for them is
as beneficial as for the muscles. The
exercise cannot take place without a
supply of nerve force, and it certainly
will bring to the teeth abundant blood,
which, if good, will nourish them well
md help to make them strong.
It has always been remarked that the
negroes of Africa have very fine teeth.
There large jaws furnish abundant
space without crowding. One dentist
has tod me the reason why so many
children's teeth crowd on each other is
because the jaws are too small, from
lack Of exercise, to hold all Of them.
Negroes no doubt do exercise their jaws
good deal more than the whites, else
they would not be so large. But the
negroes also clean their teeth careful
ly. A physician who has lived six
years among them in Africa writes me
that he thinks every negro in the re-
gion where he lives spends forty min
utes daily in cleaning his teeth. He
probably has little else to do to help
him pass the time. I do not know
whether Indians ever clean their teeth
OF not, but 1 will find out if possible.
The Hindoo cleans his teeth with great
care, and he never requires dentist,
for they do not decay as ours do. In a
very old Hindoo medical book, one Of
the oldest in the world, the "Charaka-
Samhita," now being translated into
English, find this sentence: "The
stick for cleaning the teeth should be
either astringent, or pungent, or bitter,
one Of it's ends should be chewed into
the form of brush. It should be used
twice day. Washing the teeth re-
moves bad odors and tastes" There
is much more, but this will Suffice
Journal of Hygiene and Herald of
Health.