Milford chronicle., 1920-11-05
WHAT DENTISTRY CAN DO

The education of the public to an
appreciation of the tremendous ad-
vantage that come from a clean mouth
and good teeth is the object of this
column.
Any method that has a tendency of
/ the individual and prolongs the life.
/ There is absolutely no doubt but that
/ proper attention to the mouth and
teeth will do these things.
Nine out of every ten people never
go to the dentist until driven there
by pain. They neglect their teeth be-
cause they do not understand the re-
lation of good teeth to good health.
During the war the majority of the
soldiers and sailors were taught the
value of health conservation by in
structions in hygiene and sanitation,
including the care of the teeth.
They had received this big lesson
in heroic doses and they have been
taught in a way that will be hard to
forget in the years to come.
They have been compelled to keep
themselves and everything they pos
sess in as sanitary condition as pos
sible. because the government has
found it good business. To ain and
equip a soldier costs money and his
health is a prime consideration.
These lessons will appeal to many
of the boys as being valuable, and
many communities will wake up to
find that the returned soldier is go
ing to demand better sanitation in
many ways, for he has learned the
value of good health and good teeth.
Now is the time to inaugurate a
general health campaign.
The war has proved the laxity of
both health and educational laws. 1t
has shown that thousands who were
drafted into the army could not sign
their own names, and knew less
about personal hygiene.
Business reconstruction should go
hand in hand with the reconstruction
of health laws to make better citi-
zens.
The campaign to save babies has
had excellent results, and while in
FAINT mortality has been greatly reduc-
ed, not so much has been done to pro-
long adult life.
America is face to face with a sit
uation today that will tax the wisest /
brains to solve.
Europe will not be able to furnish
use with common labor, so we must /
what we have by looking af- /
ter the health of the people.
About per cent of the sickness |
may be prevented by improved sani-
tary and hygienic conditions, and at
least so per cent by better dental and
medical attention.
Among the labering classes there
H,alf Ill
ire chronic invalids by the time they
Ire 45 years old, burden upon their
amilies or the community.
Removal of infected tonsils and a
title mouth hygiene will restore many
If these men to useful life.
Few of them ever used a tooth
,rush, and where one is used single
'rush sufices for the entire family.
1t is up to the municipal officers,
chool boards and philanthropists to
medical and dental clinics
o advance the general health of the {
'eople by teaching personal and oral ,
Iygiene. {
Money spent in this way is good J
usiness for the community, Just the :
anne as it was for the government.
Tot only will the public be relieved i
f the burden of caring for many of Z
hese people but they will be put in E
hame to live happy, useful lives t
The advantages to be derived from !
louth hygiene are not only important !
ealth conditions resulting in greater d
appiness and efficiency but measur- a
bly, increased length of life. a
Preventive dentistry can exert an in i
ti5Iioe in advancing the people far b
eyond that of any other agency. b
1t will bring a measure of health "
nd comfort not only to the immedi-
-e generation, but the future ones by i,
the value of a clean h
outh and clean teeth. h