Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-09-20

became of first Importance. and at the
present time the children's teeth are
very carefully examined and a record
kept of the history of each case. AS
part of the new system adopted three
years the physicians introduced a
card system In each school that showed
the physical history OF each child and
the changes from yea to year are
carefully noted, with such remarks as
may be helpful in future examinations.
The record of every child includes re-
ports bearing on the state of nutrition,
sight n hearing, condition of the skin,
lungs and heart. mentality, speech.
throat, palate and vaccination. Tire
Is also a brief family history attempt.
ing to cover any hereditary weak
nesses, as well as the matter of ma
tionality and past physical history. To
this has been more recently added a
complete history of the teeth, and with
In the past year this particular condi-
ton in each child has been given the
greatest possible attention.
Results Satisfactory.
n results have been very salts
factory, and the benefits that have ac-
crued have amply repaid the efforts
that have been taken to perfect this
end of the physical examinations. The
board has in view the adoption of ad-
ditional plans that will go a long way
to still further add to the value of this
dental work, and it Is hoped this fall
to introduce q sort OF travelling denta
exhibit that Will be sent to each school
for a week at a. time, II to hold lee
lures on the subject both for the benefit
of the pupils and their parents. Den
tai clinics will be established at all the
schools as soon as sufficient money
can be secured to carry out the work,
and the board plans to adopt the same
system that is now in such successful
operation in Boston, Cleveland, Roc1es-
ter and other cities.
There is n fact that stands promi-
nently to the front in the analysis of
this matter so far as 1t applies TO the
public schools, and that is that the
men who have it in their power to
make the adoption of these excellent
plans possible have not an adequate
idea of the Importance of the matter
or its vital connection with the health
of more than So per cent. of the chill
dren attending our schools. If they
could be brought to realize how serious
a matter this is and how great a pro-
portion of all children have diseased
teeth they would lose no time in getting
under way the plans that would help
to relieve the situation and check the
diseases that are so prevalent as a re-
suit of bad teeth and unclean mouths.
1t has been found that in most chill
dren in this city the sixth year molars,
which are the first of the permanent
teeth, are In 80 per cen of the cases
allowed|to come and grow without
any care whatever with the result that
they are soon lost, and for all time
thereby, denying the child and later
the grown-up person, of two of the most
important teeth used in the process of
mastication. Moreover, the loss of
the sixth e molar affects the speech,
as the space Is not closed after the
tooth is gone, and it's absence affects
the health Inc proper growth of the
other teeth. 1t is a fact, proved by
every record available, that the loss OF
this important tooth causes more
trouble in the way of misplaced teeth
than any other one thing, and when
we see children with irregular teeth,
some overgrowing the others and often
distorting the mouth, We can safely at
tribute the condition to the loss of the
sixth year molar.
A still more serious consequence fol-
lowing the loss of this tooth is the faulty
mastication nat must ensue. Food
cannot be properly chewed. and is swal-
lowed long before 1t should be given to
the juices of the stomach, with the re-
suit that child develops any one of
the numerous intestinal disorders that
affect children whose stomachs are
weakened by the unnatural demands
made upon them. How many parents
know these facts, or knowing them, how
many TAXI the trouble to exercise a
little care in attending to their chill
dren's teeth? Not more than 10 per
cent. of the people in this city have
sound teeth or teeth that are capable
of performing all the duties of proper
mastication.
Bad Teeth Responsible.
1t is no wonder that dyspepsia, indi-
g~estion, anaemia and an almost I'M
limited number of ailments are so gen.
eral when we consider how many peo-
Pile are now almost helpless to stop
the advance of such complaints. In
nearly every instance the trouble can
be traced back to childhood when the
teeth were neglected, and in later life,
when there came a full realization of
how much wa at stake. the damage
had been done and only a partial rem
edy was possible, II has been found in
the public school examinations that
cases of diphtheria, and even measles,
can be directly traced to diseased teeth.