Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-20
KEEP TEETH CLEAN.
,,,poprANcE or DENTAL HYGIENE
N orR SCHOOLS.
NAY GUARD AGAINST DECAY.
~occssi,y OF This strongly En-
phasizcd I'm nm Article written Tor
thc Dispatch by
Richmond Dentist

Richmond Dentist
A., tho annual meeting Of the Virginia
cato Dental Association. held at Oid
point recently. a wel-known young Rieh-
,,o,d dentist read an Interesting paper
on az. s,,,,i.et OF Dental Hygiene in the
p,,,u. schools" and It made such an Inn
...,,.,. ,,st n committee was appointed
..,.-,. o,i the ideas therein expressed.
The chairman Of this committee has
...,.,cr Cor the Dispatch an article.
,.,,c, he hopes the papers of the state
-, ,,rr so as to give e the widest pos
r,. circulation. IN which he emphasizes
~. importance Of proper care and atten-
..r neioe given the teeth OF children,
,.,tb 40 home and in the .school-room.
Tho article follows:
Dental Hygiene I'm the schools.
Observant and thoughtful men Of the
dental profession agree with unani-
,iiy which compels conviction that not
outstanding the great strides made IN
dentistry in the past few decades and
The great number of good men practcing
the profession, so that excellent ser
wee may be had by all. even IN many
OF the sparsely settled parts OF the cout
n.y. where q few years ago no u'".'
was to be found, the teeth OF our ~,
are getting worse instead OF pvl''
has been frequently sdid Una, H.
ica produces the best denilsts anu 'i,V
American people have tnI Poo'0''
OF any nation Of the eti'n' a.. 3.
II tbis DC sO-and ] doubt not tnat IL
,stb.ro must be something done diner
ant from. or in addition TO- what Is being
dome now 10 save teeth. The dentist mis-
tno teeth Of the patients who come 10
MIN. il they are salyable; If not, he eX-
t-..ts and substitutes artificial ones. lie
also III he does his duty advises ms
,.rsrt as 10 the proper care Of the
f..,h. and in case of parents, lectures
tr.m .n regard TO their duty TO their
Children I'm this matter. But this seems
rp fo be enough. Fle comes In contact
with too few OF the people and his work
&. curative rather than preventive lie
Starts too late.
TO GUARD AGAINST DECAY.
when we consider The suffering caused
iy aching teeth and the many Ills Incl
dent thereto. local as well as systemic
fbe loss OF these useful organs when
ultimately results from then decay-lhe
pain. WEAKNESS. and expense Of prouacl-
cd dental operations, and the oetracuoh
from the personal appearance OF glitter
ing gold filings where only pearly WHITE
ness should be seen. or the uniform ar
tincialitv Of store teeth, not 70 men
lion many others; the cause or that
deterioration becomes an interesting ana
important subject, which not only the
dental profession, but the public as well,
should give the most earnest ana care
ful considerations in order that some
plans may I've devised. some steps taken.
To ensure for the onooming generations
81 not for ourselves. better teeth.
To answer the very natural question
which IS uppermost In the mind OF the
reader "What is the cause OF the decay
OF teeth?" and TO do il in such way
simple. vet CONFERENCE.-The the peo-
Die would understand, and 10 engender
in their minds a greater interest In these
valuable organs. so necessary TO their
health. would be to solve the question OF
all questions which should engage the
mind of the dentist of to-day
UnquestiouaDly we inherit bad teeth
teeth Of poor structure. our mode Of
living has a great bearing on the quality
Of our teeth. The more simple tie habits
OF q peOple-the nearer to nature they
live-the better their teeth. AS we depart
Arab-become sedentary in our habits
our food complex. varied, and artificial,
81 will we become nervous and physically
degenerate. and our dental organs, along
with the others Of the body. will be poor
an structure and less resistiye TO the i'm
mediate causes of decay.
HOW DECAY IS CAUSED.
Tho immediate cause Of the decay OF
the teeth is the acid formed by decom-
posed food. allowed to remain on and be-
tween them. This acid acts upon the
lime salts Of the tooth. causing It TO dis
migrate and wash away leaving a cavity
which. If not filled, will deepen ana final
ly reach the nerve in the centre Of the
tooth. and "toothache" results.
will not attempt TO explain the action
Of microbes in this process, though IT
S. an important one 1t would be neces-
slrly too technical for an article Of this
kind
What is TO be gathered from this? Sim
ply that the great need Of to-day is Pro-
phvlactic or Preventive Dentistry. The
vst majority Of the people wait until
their teeth decay before they realize the
Importance Of dental services. and alasi
900 many wait longer, even until the
nerve itself il oncroached upon and the
very life OF the tooth placed in jeopardy
Mothers and fathers do not realize their
possibility IN the matter Of caring for
their children's teeth ana say they did
Ilt know their teeth were decayed when
they came to them complaining Of tooth
ache. They should know. II T. an i'm
p0rtant duty they owe their children.
They are careful enough TO keep them
away from infectious diseases, but the
organs of mastication and speech. which
are so very important to health and good
looks. they let decay and waste away,
when they should know that they can
never be replaced 1t is a crying. shame
that children are allowed TO grow up in
ignorance Of the proper care of their
teeth. and right here Is where the turn
ing point IS; right here IS our hope, and I
verify believe the only hope for any great
results. Let us get 10 work on the teeth
before they need dental operations, to the
end that they may never need them. Our
teeth are not TO go from bad 10 worse be-
cause we are over-civiiized. Nor are we
20 take a backward step in the forward
march. The solution OF the problem Is
not AT the expense OF our civilization. The
condition Is incidental to and concomitant