The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-14
A TOOTHBRUSH DRILL.
DIR. GRADY SAYS 1T is AS NECEs-
SARY AS GYMNASTIC EXERCISE.

Good Teeth; Good Henlth"-Sugges-
lions for "A Systematic Examination
by Competent Dentists of the
Mouths of School Children.
From the Baltimore Sun.
In a paper presented to the American
Medical Association at its meeting in At
lanuc City last month DIR. Richard Grady
of Baltimore, who is dentist to the United
States Naval Acadmey, said:
I'm my office there is a motto. Good
teeth, good health suggestive of the CEN
trail thought of this paper:
Without good teeth there cannot be thor
ough mastication.
Without thorough mastication there can
not be perfect digestion.
Without perfect digestion there cannot
be proper assimilation.
Without proper assimilation there can
not be nutrition.
Without nutrition there cannot be
health.
Without health what is life?
Hence the paramount Importance of the
| teeth.
"A few years ago discovered that not
! one of the 500 children in one of the pub
| lie institutions in my city had a tooth
| brush. The children Of that institution
are now supplied with toothbrushes, but
l fear there are many similar institutions
| in the world where the toothbrush is new
er seen and the dentist never heard Of
Much Decay PreventabIe.
II am fully persuaded that more than
50 per cent. of dental carries is absolutely
| nrpVentq hle nv INT
ministered, which act specifically in the
mouth; alike pleasing and imperative is
! the appeal to both ambition and intelli-
gence to prevent rather than to repair,
| the ravages of decay. II the teeth are
not allowed to accumulate deposits on
either their exposed or protected surfaces
they will, it is claimed, be exempt from
| carries.
Given the varying predspositions of diff
! ferent individuals to carries, which is gov
erned by the laws of heredity and envi-
| ronment, the growth of micro-organisms
In the mouth IS in proportion to the
amount of disturbance they suffer or rest
and opportunity they enjoy.
Treating diseased teeth of school chill
dren at public expense seems entirely out
of the question at present: yet why
should 1t be less reasonable to have visit
ing dentists than visiting music teachers
and drawing teachers, and teachers OF
| physical culture? The position of visit
ing dentist in our public schools would
not be a sinecure. There would be work
10 do every day If bad teeth could be
prevented the gain to the state and the
individual would be OF enormous value,
as il is wonderful how many diseases can
be traced indirectly TO bad teeth
TT is the noble privilege of the teachers
of the country to promote in some degree
the preservation of the teeth of those
under their care, and this they can do by
intoxicating early and earnestly and with
the emphasis of high religious duty the
principles OF dental hygiene
THE same spirit which has led to en-
listing the active cooperation OF the pub
lie schools concerning measures for pre-
venting the spread of conta gious diseases
of childhood should be insisted upon in
the care of teeth.
A Toothbrush Drill
THE incubation Of Clearly oral habits
among children should be insisted upon
1t Is just as important and as necessary
to keep clean teeth as IL is to keep clean
hands and face, because all the food we
eat must come in contact with our teeth.
II is essential that child be taught how
to brush the teeth properly Brush the
upper teeth downward and the lower
teeth upward on their inner and outer
surfaces preventing injury to the gums
and effectively cleaning all the crevces
Of the teeth. A toothbrush drill at school
is as necdful as any gymnastic exercise
for the preservation OF health. There is
strong reason 10 believe that many dis
eases OF the nervous system. respiratory
organs and alimentary canal may be due
to the fact that the masticatory organs
have been neglected.
we are now able to say to teachers
and pupils that 1t has been proved be-
yond doubt that decay of the teeth Is
caused by two different processes-CD
chemical (2) parasitcal-that the pre-
vention of dental carries depends first
OF all, on strict cleanliness OF the mouth
and teeth, the importance of which can
not possibly be overestimated Undoubl-
eddy 1t can he said that the toothbrush
and plenty Of clean water stand at the
head OF all measures OF this nature ana
that the next prophylactic means is tho
intelligent use OF proper autiseptics 4
tepid salt solution has been recommend
Cd as an inexpensive and effective anti |
septic for rinsing the mouth. and where |
there Is tendency 10 bleeding of the
gums powdered boric acid may be used
one thing not often spoken of in refer
ence 10 cleaning teeth Is the value OF |
rinsing. Many patients know nothing
about IT, and the average dentist does moi
think Il worth while TO mention Il TO |
them. The matter OF closing the lips and
forcing the water vigorously back and |
forth between the teeth exercises an I'm /
portant part in cleansing them.
Clennness Defense.
I'VE want to emphasize the startling
fact that the teeth OF children have been
deteriorating, until now 1t has become @ |