The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-22
HOW BAD TEETH
MAKE POOR MEN
HARTFORn DENTIST ADVOCATES
INSPECTION OF CHILDREN'S
MOUTHS.

During the last five or six years
there has been n movement on foot
in various localities to improve the
physical conditions of the school chill
dren What has been accomplished?
This question is asked by Hart
ford, Conn, dentist. who, himself re-
plies:
First, let us take TIE report of the
Cleveland school children under the
supervision of q nurse and Dir. w
S. Ebersole. This was In 1908. For
twelve months the mouth was kept
in a normal condition for forty school
children, with result that they
gained 99S per cent, or GA per cent
over children not cared for by the
oral hygiene committee. Now, If you
can make the school children gam
"a per cent by proper care of their
mouths, how about this being good
proposition for the taxpayers They
would only have to keep their pupils
three-fourths of the time in school
to accomplish the same results as
they do now at full time, Pupils
would save time. Teachers would be
lessened and still the WORK equally
as well accomplished. Is 1t not worth
considering? You say, why Is this?'
Stop and consider that the whole
world is today endeavoring to pre-
vent waste, disease and discomfort.
Therefore, Is it not In accordance
with this same idea that the dentist
can prevent decay, toothache. bleed
ing gums. etc. i? These are never seen
in healthy mouth. If you have COM
pulsory school inspection of the
mouth. and "A patient is found with
any symptoms OF dental disorder,
refer him to their dentist or the dis
pensary and have the same properly
attended to. They certainly can at
tend to their studies far better than
II they had aching teeth, or inflam-
ed mouths
Another way to look at this sub
ject is that decayed teeth will carry
disease germs and these will be car
ried out into the school room and afa
feet other pupils. Stop and consider
when you were in school. II your
chum had cold, how many times did
you have one in a few days? Now,
II so simple a thing as colds can be
carried and retained In decayed teeth
Will not the contagious diseases be
carried in like manner?
Let me give You some facts from
not less an authority than Professor
Fisher. of Yale. who estimates that
there are 100000 people constantly
sick In the United States. over one
ituTtH Oh tflS NdsL Dht1pGF Gle an
nually and one-fourth of this vast
| number die Of preventable diseases,
That is, 75o, 900 can be prevented. He
estimated that the loss in wages az
$500. 10000 and care for the same
Mt $3.50, 00o, 900. or a total of $3.50
| 000, 600.
Would II not be far better for
the country. as a whole, to stop this
vast waste and look after the mouths
Of the school children and place this
| 10000 people In position to better
assist the preventive, or postponed
class of disease entirely, All this
number must necessarily receive their
| incubation by breathing 1t in through
tho mouth. Our tuberculosis hospi-
tails tell us that 100 per cent of their
parents require dental work The
contagious wards OF the hospitals saw
that 90 per cent of their patients
have defective teeth. One medical
authority says. Preventive dentistry
Is a fact In healthy patients He
should have said. Preventive dentis-
| try is help TO health
1T Ia hoped that the public will
awaken to the fact that a healthy