Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-07
PRESENT AGE HARD
ON HUMAN TEETH
So Omaha is to Make United
Effort to Help Little Ones
Care for Their Molars.
TO HAVE FREE DIsPENsARY
BY A. r. GROH.

| In the land where all the teeth live
before they come to the earth to en-
ter the mouths of human beings and
animals the mamma and papa teeth
tell the little teeth that if they aren't
good they will go into the mouths
OF human beings. But if they are
good they will 90 into the mouths of
dogs and cats and horses.
This makes the teeth try to be good
and study their lessons and wash their
hands and faces. For they want to
live in the mouths of animals, where
they will be always clean and white.
They are afraid to live in the mouths
of human beings, where so many of
them get aches and pains.
The present age with its great va
riety OF sweets and dainty food is pc
culiarly hard on human teeth. In the
olden days peoples teeth lasted longer
because they ate coarser foods and
very little sweet stuff When one of
grandpa's teeth troubled him he went
to the blacksmith and had it out
Today, when the wicked bacteria
family is conspiring to deprive us of
our molars at an early age, we battle
them quite considerably with an army
of dentists, who, by means of delight
full little drills and charming little
hammers and fascinating little for
ceps, do so manipulate and work and
devise that the damage wrought by
the wicked and detestable bacteria is
repaired and we can go on, with fair
care. chewing our food with our own
teeth to an advanced age.
But--but, little children usually
don't take care of their teeth unless
their elders are continually after them
about it. And many poor little chill
dren's teeth get in very bad condition
because of lack of funds to obtain the
ministration of dentist.
Tomorrow Omaha is going to raise
$4,000 to establish a free dental dis
pensary here where the teeth of chill
dren between 6 and IA years of age
will be treated without cost. A num-
Der of dentists will donate their SER
vices at the dispensary half a day
each month. One dentist and nurse
will be in constant attendance. By
this arrangement five chairs will be
in continual operation.
Think of the good this will do!
Think of the thousands of teeth that
will be saved from decay to do good
service for years!
Not only will this result in increas-
ed comfort and good looks to those
benefited, but it will increase their
health in every way. Bad teeth, we
are told, are the cause of whole line
of human ailments. They hurt the
digestion very seriously and, through
that, all the rest of the human mech
anism. In Boston they have spent
5000, 900 on a free dental dispensary
and it has resulted in a decrease Of
90 per cent in contagious diseases
among children.
Children will also be taught how to
care for their teeth. Even the use of
a toothbrush is not enough, for these
wicked bacteria roost by the million
on a toothbrush unless killed by an
antiseptic- wash. Oh, but they're
wicked, crafty, cunning little cusses.
You remember about the man in
the dressing room of the Pullman car
who saw another man using his tooth
brush. Hey" he said, that's my
toothbrush you're using" "Oh, ex-
cuse me-" said the man. II thought
it was one that somebody had left
here"
We can't be too careful Of our teeth
and we ought to be careful of the
teeth OF those that don't or can't care
for their own. We love our teeth, but
not 50 much that we want them to
wear rrowne