The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-01
WHY TEETH DECAY
Thyroid Gland Has Much to Do
With Their Quality.
What Can Be Acc-r piished by the
Use Of Substance Obtained From
mals-Views of an Eminent
British Dental Authority.


New York-Nore important than
ali the dentists and their new filings
and methods is the mystery Of why
teeth decay. An eminent British den
tai authority believes that q certain
ductless gland in the neck, known as
the thyroid" largely controls the
destiny Of our chewing apparatus. Or
course, no one doubts that cleaning
the mout, selecting proper food anu
general care 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 never decays they say, and
this is probably true, but il is equal
~ 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 care of themselves without
ones personal attention" says this
doctor. That is natures business
II nature does not attend TO her bust,
ness. we ought not TO be perpetually
busting and sweeping and cleaning up
after her. as II she were a careless
housemaid, but should call her TO &C
count
Good health was early recognized
as one 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 teeth.
All over the body, in hooks and
corners, are found all sorts and sizes
of glands. Some of these are well
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" and whatever they Sc
crete goes right into the blood itself.
! The thyroid is 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 full grown adult depends on this
small body hidden away behind our
mouth.
/ When a baby is born without an
! adequate thyroid it becomes what is
known as a "cretin," The cretin is
not likely TO be more than four feet
/ tall, probably less. His intellect hard
! ~ progresses at all, often remaining
=
pendent on others all his life. The
cretin lives a dull. vegetable-like 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 and
bow legs exaggerate the short stat
ure of the cretin. In the case of al
| imbecile Of this kind, with so many
things wrong, ii is not surprising that
the symptom of bad teeth be passed
by with little interest. Yet decayed
teeth are the most invarible symptom
| of all
Creatinism can be cured nowadays
by treatment with thyroid extract
| taken from the thyroid glands of ami
mails. This artificial supply gives the
system the missing element in build
ing materials, and the cretin at once
begins to grow and even make up fol
lost time. If the treatment is begun
! early enough the system is able &c
turn out a presentable human beinE
in the end.
When the artificial thyroid sub
stance is supplied before the perma
nent teeth appear these arrive strong
full sized and able TO resist the at
tacks of the microbes and acids Of ths
mouth If the treatment begins aftel
the permanent teeth have come the!
are small. Ill formed and doomed t
perpetual decay until they are re
| moved.