The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-10-29
WHY Hi
TEETH DECAY
What Can Be Accomplished by the
Use of Substance Obtained From
AnlmalseViews Of an eminent
British Dental Authority.

New York.-More important than
all the dentists and their new filings
and methods is the mystery of why
teeth decay. An eminent British den
tai authority believes that a certain
ductless gland in the neck. known as
the thyroid largely controls the
destiny of our chewing apparatus. Of
course. no one doubts that cleaning
the mout, selecting proper food and
general car of the health aid in keep
ing the teeth sound, and lack of these
things contributes to their breaking
down. But these are not the only
causes nor the main ones.
In spite Of neglect and ignorance,
some people have absolutely no trou-
Bile with their teeth, while others
brush and clean and yet spend small
fortunes with the dentist. "A polished
tooth decays" they say, and
this is probably true, but it is equal
ly true that nobody can keep every
portion OF every tooth polished all
the time.
THE lungs and the liver and the
heart and other organs are supposed
to take are of themselves without
ones personal attention" says this
doctor. THAT is natures business.
If nature does not attend to her bust
ness. we ought not to be perpetuall.s
busting and sweeping and cleaning up
after her, as if she were a careless
housemaid, but should call her to &C
count.
Good health was early recognized
as n of the foundations for good
teeth. But many cases of excellent
general health show poor teeth, SO we
must conclude that there are various
kinds Of good health, some which in
clude good teeth and some which do
not. Also many patients Of very
feeble constitution for some reason
have no need of the dentist"
Among all the varying causes of
health and disease is found one con
slant factor. When there is trouble
with the thyroid gland there is trouble
with the teeth.
XII oNGl tHC pods III 1ipoNo oii'
corners, are found all sorts and sizes
of glands. Some of these are we'll
understood, such as those that Sc
crete saliva for the mouth or tears
for the eye. These have outlets called
ducts" which supply their products
where they are needed. There are
also other kinds of glands which have
no outlet. These are called the duct
less glands" ard whatever they Sc
crete goes right into the blood itself
The thyroid is a blind, ductless gland
1t is in the neck, and when enlarged
causes the disease known as "goiter.'
The thyroid does several wonderful
things for the body Of which we
know, and doubtless several Others
unknown. The entire process Of
growth and development Of a body
into "a full grown adult depends on this
mouth.
When a baby is born without al
adequate thyroid it becomes what i:
known as a "cretin." The cretin is
not likely to be more than four fee
tall, probably less. His intellect hard
ly progresses at all, often remaining
so childish that he is absolutely de
pendent on others all his life. The
cretin lives a dull, vegetablelike eX
istence and takes note of very little
that goes on around him.
His bones are stunted and feeble
curvature of the spine is common AM
bow legs eXaggerate the short stat
ure of the cretin. In the case of al
imbecile of this kind, with so man.
things wrong, it is not surprising tina
the symptom of bad teeth be passe'
by with little interest. Yet decayet
teeth are the most inyarible symptom
of all.
Creatinism can be cured nowadayi
by treatment with thyroid extrac
taken from the thyroid glands of ami
mails. This artificial supply gives tn
system the missing element in build
ing materials, and the cretin at ono
begins to grow and ever make up TO
lost time. If the treatment is begun
early enough the system is able t
turn out a presentable human bein
in the end.
When the artificial thyroid sui
stance is supplied before the perms
nent teeth appear these arrive strong
full sized and able to resist the a
tacks of the microbes and acids of TIL
mouth. If the treatment begins afte
the permanent teeth have come the
are small, i'll formed and doomed t
perpetual decay until they are re
mnvnd