Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-03-27
DENTAL INSPECTION

direction of the Board of Education is
progressing in very satisfactory
manner This, is being conducted by
resident members of the Marathon
County Dental society who have Of
fered their services in order that the
prevailing conditions of the children's
| teeth might be revealed to the parents
| and to the school authorities.
Children, teachers and dentists are
cooperating nicely and it is hoped
that the results of the examination
with advisory suggestions will be ac-
cepted in the same spirit by the par
ents. as the work is being done with
out expense to the tax payers.
The aim is not to urge any method
of corrective procedure but merely to
show what conditions are present.
There will be indicated the number Oh
carious (decayed) teeth, assesses, ETC.,
in both the deciduous and permanent
sets, and this information is to be tab
ulated and reported to the board OF
education at the conclusion of the
examination.
Each child receives a report when
is taken to the parent, and the follow
ing suggestions are appended;
| To parents and guardians:
Diseases of the teeth have been
named "the disease of the people"
The widespread existence of this dis
ease and the great injury it does to
the health OF the child make it one OF
the greatest factors in deciding the
| child's future.
The cure of the disease calls for the
strong. united action of all persons
having the care of children.
Good Health Depends Upon GOOD
| Teeth Because
1 There cannot be health without
nourishment.
2. There cannot be nourishment UNI
less the teeth break up (chew) the
food so that the body can digest the
food.
g There cannot be good digestion
unless the teeth are able to break the
food, and bad teeth cannot do good
work.
4. If there is not good digestion
there cannot be good health. Medical
investigations show that much of the
disease of the teeth can be prevented;
also that the younger the child when
the teeth are cared for, the greater the
benefit.
All this means that if the first, or
temporary set of teeth, could be kept
free from disease, the second or per-
manent set of teeth would be practical
ly sound.
Children enter school life just be-
fore or during the most important
dental period; namely, the cutting OF
the first mOlar tooth. This is the first
permanent tooth. The other teeth OF
the second set will not be healthy If
the first molar is decayed.
The one great cause in all decay Is
the failure to keep them clean.
There was a time when the wheat
used for flour was not so finely pow
dered as it is today, and when the mod
ern inventions had not robbed bread
| of a coarseness that made the teeth
clean and strong by chewing. The
| finely powdered wheat flour clings to
the teeth and sets up fermentation.
This causes decay of the teeth. This
decay goes on faster during the night
than during the day.
Teeth should be cleaned after each
meal, but must be cleaned before go
ing to bed each night if decay is to be
| prevented.
Many children neglect to do this;
then it becomes necessary to have the
teeth cleaned and repaired by dem
fist,
1. You are asked to buy tooth
brush for each. child in the family.
2. You are asked to see that the
child uses this tooth brush daily. es-
pecially before going to bed at night.
8. You are requested to take your
child TO your family dentist for exam
ination and for treatment. You are
asked to do this now:
1t should not be inferred that the
various markings of "P. F. G. E." are
| given in criticism. They are made
upon an arbitrary basis depending up
on certain conditions, and as suggest
ed, the judgment of the family den
fist is to be adopted as final in each
| case, as more careful consideration
of the circumstances will enable him
to offer best advice.
This work is being pursued general
ly throughout the east and in all the
larger cities. Our sister city, Oshkosh,
has just taken a step in advance by
installing a complete equipment with
| paid operator where corrective work
can be done for those children whose
parents are financially unable to meet
| the expense. An unhealthy child, one
handicapped in his school work by
physical defects SUCH as imperfect
teeth, and other maladies as disclosed
by the medical examiner, is a positive
expense to the tax payer, and these
| examinations, as in the case of the
medical, open the way to obviate such
loss in measure at least.
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