Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-08-27
BRUSH BEFORE BREAKFAST
Pointed Remarks Of a Dentist on Prsservs-
ton Of the Teeth.
DUTIES NEGLECTED BY PRACTITIONERS
Experience BIaEes a Way Conducive
20 Health, Comfort and n Ger
tain DIminution of Dental
Bills.

DR.. Horace Warren, d. d. s., Of Missouri
Valley. Ia, read paper before the Ne
braska State Dental society at its recent
meeting and gave away much important
professional information about the care Of
teeth which laymen and women might
proftably read and heed. The address fol-
lows:
For many years I have made it point
TO interrogate patients as to whether their
former operators had ever told them how
to groom their mouths The answer al
most always is, He didn't say a word"
II is the conscientious duty of every prac-
titoner of dentistry to call the attention
OF all who come under their professional
supervision to the absolute necessity of
hygienic measures in the mouth and, far
Their, to 90 into details and instruct them
in the manner Of carrying out said dlrec-
lions properly.
Properly is used advisedly, for, upon in
quiring of patients. It is ascertained that
there are many persons who are following
some directions or using some material as
a dentifrice which is absolutely injurious
and which upon advice from a reputable
dentist would be corrected. One instance:
We are frequently told by someone that
he uses salt as a dentifrice, because, for
sooth, in some newspaper article portray
ing the various uses of this necessary
Condiment he noticed that one of its ex-
cellences was as a perserver of the teeth.
Yes, out of the mouth II will preserve
them very well, but we all know too well
that It is hardly a fit ingredient of a tooth
powder.
Another vagary is that hot water should
be used with which to brush the teeth
Those Of our patrons who have been more
than ordinarily Jealous I'm the care of their
teeth usually pleased to be placed on
the right track and are perfectly willing
TO have their errors corrected; and those
biped-p achyderms who associate with hui
man beings while maintaining veritable
cesspools with the oral cavity and seat
themselves in our chairs without hav-
ing lawn mower run over their teeth TO
remove the moss don't deserve any con-
sideration as far as their feelings are con-
cerned and probably wouldn't appreciate it
were IT accorded them. therefore, logically
II is clearly ones duty to advise those un-
der our care in the correct manner Of keep
Ing the mouth approximately clean, for we
all know too we'll that it can't be kept,
like Royal baking powder, Absolutely
pure"
Brush Before Breakfast.
The author wishes to modestly claim
originality in placing prime Importance to
the idea which prompted the subject of
this paper-"B. B. B.-Brush Before Break
fast"
So far. neither in textbook nor periodical,
has anyone advocated the advantage of
brushing before breakfast. The author
wishes to go on record with the opinion
that pyorrhea a1veolaris would pass into
history If this custom were universally fol-
bay ~
dread malady where the teeth were brushed
before breakfast. If the teeth are brushed
but once a day, 1t is of infinitely more bene-
Mt to them If done then, and, Furthermore,
brushing before breakfast will do more
good than all the subsequent brushing of
the day. The next most beneficial time is
Immediately before retiring. The teeth
should of course, be brushed after meals"
according to the steriotyped and time-hon-
ored directions, but not directly upon ris-
ing from the table.
The tongue should also be brushed before
breakfast, for 1t is the rendezvous of nu-
merous microbes. And see that your pa
tients are brushing well up on the necls
OF the teeth. getting friction on the gums
and thereby keeping them healthy, for
without such action they will almost surely
be affected with pyorrhea sooner or later
With reference to the rotary plan of
brushing the teeth. so frequently advised
by makers of brushes and indeed by many
writer's, 1t is ideal and utopian in its in
ception, but not practicable 1t only makes
task more onerous TO those who already
deem 1t hard labor. AS you. fellow prac-
titioners, are aware. the tartar is precipi-
tated during sleep when the fluids of the
mouth are in a quiescent state. Now. IL
one eats before removing the tartar (Which
ground glass;. the tartar will be forced
by the food passing over the teeth down
under the free margin of the gums; next
day little more, till in due time, a solid
slab is formed that can only be removed
by the aid of the scaler
The Way to DO II.
After each meal on rising from the table
Immediately. II at all convenient, the mouth
should be rinsed correctly. Notice that the
patient understands how TO do this. (The
speaker here demonstrated this by taking
bottle half full OF water and shaking 1t
strenuously to dislodge the precipitations).
In rinsing the mouth one should make a
noise like unto water dashing over a mill
race, that the water will pass through be-
tween the teeth with great velocity After
that the teeth should be picked with fine,
hardwood pick or quill, II the latter is
properly trimmed. as they are not pointed
correctly at the factory; then brushed If
convenient.
The ideal home should have a lavatory
9n the dining room, into which the guests
might step for a moment and cleanse their
mouths, for they are filthy receptacles till
such action. And bottle of peroxide OF
hydrogen should be at hand to neutralize
any odoriferous food. II one will rinse
the mouth afterward strenuously, as d.
rected, with peroxide and water each equal
parts, he may make a meal Of raw onions,
lmburger cheese and beer without being
detected of the crime.
The brush, too, is important The prophy-
tactic Is the most efectual, coming as II
does I'm soft, hard and medium texture OF
bristles, and adults youths and chiId's
size, II seems 10 meet all the requirements
As 10 dentrifrice, something neutral
somewhat Pungent, slightly alkaline. per-
haps. I'm reaction, like borolyptoI is GER