Milford chronicle., 1920-03-05
TEETH AND HEALTH
By R. ALLEN GRIFFITH. D. D. S
DANGERS OF UNCLEAN TEETH

Our teeth are constantly bathed
with the saliva. Two of the functions
of the saliva are to wash the teeth
and afford drink or moisture to the
mouth and intestinal tract. There are
millions of bacteria in the saliva, and
our systems are normally guarded
against these germs.
Owing to the food we eat in our
present state of civilization, the teeth
of most individuals, sooner or later,
accumulate more or less tartar.
In the saliva is a semi-sticky sub
stance called "mucin," which adheres
to the surface of the teeth if some
means is not constantly employed to
remove it.
Where rough, coarse foods are
chewed the act of mastication and the
movement of the lips and tongue have
a tendency to remove the mucin.
When soft starchy foods are eaten,
the muchin is not remove and the
starches and sugars combine with the
mucin and stick to the teeth. Numer
Gus bacteria become enmeshed in
these sticky films and from what are
called bacterial plaques" The pla-
ques are transparent, and few dem
fists ever locate them or speak to
their patients about them. Only when
an iodine stain is applied to them are
they visible.
The plaque readily takes up the
stain but the enamel does not. Only
in this way can the dentist tell wheth-
er there are bacterial plaques on the
teeth or not
These plaques are what cause the
decay of the teeth.
The bacteria throws off an acid
which, when held in contact with ena-
mel for a sufficient length of time, dis
solves it. Hence the continual cleans
ing of every surface of the tooth is
the greatest protection against decay.
When decay is not arrested in time
the nerve finally reached and the bac
terra poison the nerve and cause it to
die.
The bacteria now enters the dead
nerve and finally pass down the root
Of the tooth and cause an abscess of
the jaw, commonly spoken of as an
liberated tooth. Where the face swells
up there is usually a large outpOuring
of pus. Sometimes, however, the pus
and gasses pass back thru the tooth
and no swelling occurs.
Sometimes, too, where the nerve has /
died or has been removed by a den
tist, the pus has been walled in or is I
carried away by the blood, and there /
is no pain or swelling and the individ- I
ual never knows that there is any /
thing wrong.
The X-ray, however, shows that the .
abscess is there. sending out its /
stream of poison into the system eV-
cry minute of the twentyrfour hours.
All kinds of diseases are procured in
his way, such as tuberculosis, heart
disease, gall stones, rheumatism and
many other serious diseases.
Only when people present them
selves to a physician for the treat
nent of some serious disease do they
legin to realize the paramount inn
lortance of these apparently insig-
lifieant foci of infection.
Last year l saw two children under
2 years of age suffering from valvu-
ar heart disease due to dead nerves
n the teeth. Many people carry these
.bscesses for years and never seem
o have any trouble, but some day
heir resistance is lowered and they
break down and die of some
emote disease due to this infection.
The danger from unclean teeth is
he greatest danger that we face in
ur modern civilization.