Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-14


that a cavity will not result. A person
with normal teeth in the beginning who
has them attended to in this manner
every few months will probably live to
Q ripe old age without the necessity of
wearing plates or bridge work. People
who take proper care OF their teeth. how
ever, are unfortunately very few
This may sound like an extreme state
ment, but I am sure any frank-spoken
dentist would confirm II. And II is not
confined to the uneducated classes, for
people of the highest intelligence often
show curious indifference and procras-
tination in regard to the teeth. Know
! ing little about the structure of the teeth
and their proneness to disease, the aver
age person fails to take proper home
care, and the dentists visit Is too often
put off for fear he will find something
the matter" with them.
Properly Cared for Mouth Not Com
mon.
Diseases Of the teeth have not been re-
garded as directly dangerous to human
life This probably explains the indif-
ference on the part of well-to-do people
IN regard to thei- own children and the
lack OF public and hospital relief for the
poor Recently the large cities have Ia
ken up q question and investigation
shows ii he poorer neighborhoods
q proper, for mouth Is a rarity,
and that Ia. N half the school chill
dren are suffv.4i : from some form of
diseased or defective teeth that is giving
them suffering and discomfort as well
as endangering their general health.
The result of this investigation is that
some few large cities have added dental
examiners to the school officials and in
some schools free dental treatment Is
given, as well as instruction in the care
OF the teeth.
Proper chewing or mastication, being
the first step in the digestive process, is
. most important factor in the well-being
Of the body. In masucation the jaw mus
cles. hy alternate contraction, bring the
teeth set in the lower jaw against those
Of the upper and this process continued
grinds the food to a pulp OF reasonable
density for the stomach. At the same
time that this grinding goes on, saliva Is
poured into the mouth from the tiny
ducts, that hold II, and this, mixed with
the pulp. changes the starch in the food
TO sugar and sends 1t on to the stomach
to be acted on By the other digestive
Juices.
Often people suffer from a form of fndi-
Bestion due to a lack Of supply of the
stomach juices, but a case where the
saliva supply Is insufficient is very rare
For that reason we can see that II the
first process OF digestion is not suffi-
ciently done II is the fault of the teeth
that is the work of chewing is not SUM-
ciently accomplished.
The Foundation for Good Dentltion
Is Started Before Birth.
The teeth are formed in the embryonic
condition. the cell structure of both the
first and the permanent teeth existing
before birth. In this stage the tooth Is
only mass of soft pulp which later by
the deposit OF lime salts becomes the
hardest part of the bone structure of the
body. AS hard as a tooth is, II 1t were
treated to a strong acid, the enamel
would disappear leaving behind It the
shape of tooth but so soft that it could
be cut with a knife. The tooth when
grown consists of the enamel, or hard
outer covering. and the dentine, or softer
inside matter. enclosing in the interior .