Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-11
DR.. KiIIinger Emphasizes the
Value of Oral Hygiene.
lessons DISEASE MENACE
End Sought by Thorough Dental In
spection in the Schools.
SYSTEM OF FOLLOWING UP
Declares Washington Is Far Behind
Other Cities in Providing for
Free Dental Work

The prevention among school children
of epidemics of such diseases as measles.
mumps pneumonia influenza and grip
is one of the ends sought to be accom-
plished by the system of oral hygiene and
dental inspection now in force in the pub
lie schools of Washington. DIR. William
c. KiIlinger, recently appointed dental
inspector in the public schools of the
city. expresses the belief that such dis
eases as we'll as the ordinary ailments
caused by poor teeth and consequent
troubles will he largely overcome when
the school authorities of the District or
Columbia establish a thorough system OF
dental inspection with foilow-up sys-
tenn that will educate growing children
together with their parents. in the I'M
portance of the work
mo other sanitary measure can be OF
greater public benefit than oral hygiene
carried to it's best ends through pubic
aid declared Dr. killinger TO-DAY.
healthy, clean mouth is perhaps the nrst
requisite of good health. because all food
and water. and part of the air. necessary
to sustain life must pass through the
mouth.
profession that clean teeth never decay
Decayed or bad teeth mean bad maStl-
cation: bad masticatiOn means bad di-
gestion: bad digestion means poor health,
and poor health means misery.
Poor Teeth of School Children.
..In all my dental practice 1 have found
only one person possessed of perfect
teeth-that is, teeth and jaws alike per-
feet in every respect. Statistics show
that rs per cent of the school children Of
the United States have poor teeth. and
that fully 60 per cent of these children
require treatment on account or 1rregu-
Iarity of teeth. malformation OF Jaws,
failure to register-that is. failure or the
upper teeth to strike squarely upon the
teeth of the lower jaw-or some other
inherent defect. In order that satisfac-
tory results may be obtained such de-
fects must be treated early in life. -.
Best results are out of the question.
DR. Killinger continued, until some pub
lie provision is made by which the poor
children of the cities may have their
teeth attended to. An ounce of preven-
ton is worth a pound of cure and "a
stitch in time saves nine.' are apt prov
CRIBS in this case, because an ounce OF
preventive care is worth more than a
pound of curative repair
Lessons Danger of Disease.
Il believe that proper care of the teeth
and mouth and general education of the
children on the value Of soral hygiene
will result in 1essening the danger of
school epidemics of such diseases as
mumps measles, pneumonia, the grip,
diphtheria and tuberculosis.
These diseases all have respiratory
sources of infection, and, in my opinion.
the sooner the general public is thorough
~ acquainted with the value of mouth
hygiene the sooner will the general health
of the public be improved.
Dr. Killinger declared that many other
he
have thorough dental inspection in. the
schools, but follow up the school inspec-
ton by providing means whereby per-
sons who are unable to stand the eX-
pense of proper dental work can have
such work done gratuitously. In this fea-
ture of the oral hygiene work in the
schools. DIR. ,killinger said. Washington
is not only far behind many other cities.
hut il is also far behind the advanced
of the age in which We live.