The Green Forest tribune., 1911-03-10
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deformed dental arches due to adenoids in the nose"
 Is insanity in many cases due to defective teeth? That is question that has aroused much interest in the profession due to an interesting series of experiments made by Dr. Henry s, Upson, professor of neurology in the Western Reserve Medical school, Cleve- land, Ohio. He found among the insane in the asylums of Cleveland and Columbus many cases of dementia precox and melanchola, these patients all showing dental impaction of the teeth Taking nine of these unfortunate creatures, Dr. Upson had them operated dentally and the results obtained were sensa- tional in the extreme. Six of these have fully recovered two much improved and one showed no mental change at all.
 The common cause of all our dental troubles is decay Of the teeth known techni- cally dental carries. is a disease known to have existed for centuries In the British museum is a skull of a mummy dated 2800 B. C.. showing evidences of well-marked carries. Dr. L. NJ. Waugh of Buffalo, quoting from Guer- ni's History of Dentistry calls attention to a collection of Egyptian writings dating back to 1850 B. C., in which mentioned num- Der of remedies for this disease. Decay or carries of the teeth is largely due to neglect or failure to keep the mouth and particularly the teeth properly cleaned. If food particles lodge between the teeth and are not removed they eventually ferment. During this fermentation process the mouth bacteria acting on the car bohydrate foodstuffs produce acid fermenta- ton. These acids dissolve the lime salts of the teeth, exposing the dentne to the action of microbes which rapidly destroy the tooth structure. It is the general supposition that teeth always decay from the outsde as a matter of fact the change takes place from within outward and goes rapidly until there is quite large cavity. Frequently toothache or extreme sensitiveness to hot cold food or drink the first intimations that decay has taken place. Sometimes there is no pain at all and a chance examination discoses the cavity in the tooth.
 These tooth cavities are ideal incubators for all kinds of bacteria. Many of the patho- genie bacteria require heat and moisture for their development and the unclean mouth and teeth offer all these conditions. It is not un- common to find the pus-producing organisms, the bacillus of diphtheria and tuberculosis in these tooth cavities.
 The cases of unclean mouths are legion; not only among children, but among adults It is estimated that only eight per cent of the people in this country take of their teeth
 In recent paper read before the Society of Medical Inspectors of New York, and com menting on the condition of children's teeth, Dr. Merritt said: "1t may be said without fear of contradiction that if the teeth of the con- ing generation to be saved 1t must be done during their school life. In the city of New York there in this year of 1910 over 600,000 school children. very large percentage of whom are in need of dental treatment Few of them ever make of tooth brush their mouths filthy beyond belief, and most of them have one or more decayed teeth"
 Dr. William H. Potter of Boston, at the icitation of the school board of Brooklne, Mass. recently examined the mouths of the school children in that exclusive suburb of Boston and found that 5S per cent. of the chil- dren had diseased and defective mouths and teeth.
 The school inspectors of Cleveland, Oho examined 33,000 children last year and dis covered 77 per cent. of them to have defective teeth. It has been estimated that there are over 9,000000 children in the United States who have defective and diseased teeth and 5000000 with enlarged glands and 7000000 with defective breathing due to adenoid growths in the nose.
 Dental carries frequently originates during pregnancy and should receive immediate at tent1on. There is old and true saying "a tooth for every child, but this can be avoided if the prospective mother will follow the instructions of her physician and her den tst.