Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-01-16
WHY DO TEETH DECAY?
Various Theories Advanced as to
the Cause.
WHAT THE DENTISTS HAVE TO SAY.
Exercising the Jaw of Great Beneft-Wo-
men Invariably Have Good Teeth.
Cleanliness Helps.

For long time the question as to
why the teeth decay has been the
theme of speculation. One of the
theories is that by boiling our flour we
take out of our food certain minerals
which are important for a sound struc-
ture, and their absence causes the teeth
to be fragile. to easily crack and break,
and this process once begun, they soon
go to pieces. The remedy prescribed
was whole meal bread. There are
good many people who believe their
teeth have been saved by this prescrip-
ton. Others, have, however, failed
to save theirs by it.
Another plausible theory, which
never gained much recognition, was
the opposition; it was that the teeth
are kept from decay, not by mineral
matter, but by abundance of living
matter in them, the so-called proto-
plasm. The living matter keep the
teeth alive and in repair.
A third theory is the one most den
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 correct, 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 majority Of people, and that the
remedy is more hard food. This neces-
states 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 practice little has
been done to realize it. Still another
theory has recently been suggested. 1t
is that the fifth pair of cranial nerves
which supplies the teeth and also sup
plies many other parts is overworked in
our western races, and does not carry
to them sufficient nerve force to pro-
duce perfect nutrition. The facts
which support it are that the Indians
almost invariably have splendid teeth
An examination of the mouths of ten
Of the Indians in Buffalo Bill s"
Wild West Show showed no decay in
them. 1t showed more or less wear
on the grinding surfaces, which comes
from eating hard food. This gives
them plenty of exercise, and SO it is
difficult to decide whether it is the
work that makes them strong, or more
abundant rerve force from less over
worked nervous systems.
There is, no doubt, some truth in all
these theories Fragile teeth will de-
cay, 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
and hlep to make them strong.
1t has always been remarked that the
negroes of Africa have very fine teeth.
Their large jaws furnish abundant
space without providing. One dentist
has told me the reason why so many
children's teeth crowd on each other is
because the jaws are too small, from
lack of exerice, 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 care
fully. 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
or not, but will find out if possible.
The Hindoo cleans his teeth with
great care, and he never requires den
fist, for they do not decay as ours do.
In very old Hindoo medical book,
ore of the Oldest in the world, the
"Charaka-Samhita,' now being trans
lated into English. find this sentence:
1.-THE stick for cleaning the teeth
should be either astringent, or pun
gent, or bitter, one of its ends should
be chewed into the form Of brush.
1t should be used twice day. Wash
ing the teeth removes bad odors and
tastes" There is much more but this
will uffice.-Journal of Hygiene and
Herald of Health