The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-07-27
CARE OF THE TEETH.
Important Points Ia Use of Toothbrush
Thas Are Often Neglected.

Important Points Ia Use of Toothbrush,
Thas Are Often Neglected.
It is but a little thing, says the hog
pital, yet on its proper use depends
much Of the happiness of modern man
Why civilized teeth should be so rotten
is question which has often been de-
bated, and probably the true answer is
more complex than some would think.
Many good mothers are content to put
all toothache down to lollipops, but
that sugar in itself is not responsible
for bad teeth is proved by the splendid
"ivories'' often possessed by negroes,
who practically live upon the sugar
cane and thrive upon it, too, during the
whole of the season when it is in ma
turity.
Dental decay is common enough, how
ever, among negroes in towns, and 1t
seems clear that the carries Of the teeth.
which is so common among civilized
races, is due not to any particular artl-
Gle of diet so much as to digestive and
nutritive changes imposed upon us By
our mode of life, and to some extent by
the fact that by hook or crook we dc
somehow manage to live, notwithstand-
ing our bad teeth, whereas in state OF
nature the toothless man soo2 dies.
Recognizing, then, that until the time
arrives when some great socla. reformer
either mends or ends our present social
conditions, our teeth will tend to rot
and that, whatever the predisposing
causes, the final act in the production
of carries is the lodgment of microbes cn
and around the teeth, we see that 1cr
long to come the toothbrush Will be
necessity if the health is to be main
tained.
1t is only by frequent use of this lis
tie instrument that those minute accu.
mutations can be removed which are
the root of so much mischief. A few
elementary lessons in bacteriology
would, we fancy, greatly startle many
people and certainly would show them
the futility of trusting to one scrub
day. The fact is that if people, instead
of looking at the toothbrush from an
aesthetic point of view and scrubbing
away with tooth powders % to make
their front teeth white, would regard 1t
merely as an aid to cleanliness, they
would sec that the time to use 1t is att
er meals and at night, not just IN the
morning only, when the debris left
from the day before mas been ferment-
ing and brewing acid all night through
They would also see how insufficient al
instrument the common toothbrush Is
unless it is used with considerable judg
ment.
One of the secondary advantages OF
spending good deal OF money on den
tistry is that at least one learns the
value of ones teeth. By the time we
have got them dotted over with gold
stoppings and gold crowns we learn to
take care of them, even although that
NAV involve the trouble of cleaning
them more thar. once day and usins
perhaps more thar cEe brush for the
.l1-.:,l>
Suiting Both Parties.
Poor Wife (to husband, whose loud
snoring keeps her awake)-Charlle.
Charlie, do stop snoring. Turn over on
your side. (Nudges himD.
Husband, only half awake, grunts,
turns on his side and continues TO snore.
Wife has happy idea Remembers
a line from IN article called How to
Prevent Snoring Gives her husband
q second nudge. which eiicits another
prunt. "Oh. Charlie. If you'd keep
your mouth SHUT. you d be all right.
Charlie (semiconScious>-So would
you.-Loudcn Answers.