Milford chronicle., 1920-09-17
M0UTH BREATH

Mouth health and its relation to the
/ general health of the public is oi
much greater moment than most peo-
pie realize.
Infected teeth and unhygienic con-
ditions of the mouth may be the
cause of many systematic diseases
Many serious diseases are often the
direct result of mouth infection the
correction of which should come
from the dental profession.
The dental profession is the logical
source for the public to 90 to for the
necessary advice and professional as
sistance in placing their mouths in
healthy condition. After the mouth
is placed in a sanitary condition they
should be taught how TO maintain
that condition.
Constructive work of this kind will
eventually teach the public what pre-
yentive medicine means. The mouth
of each patient should be carefully
examined to find all of the conditions
which have a bearing on the health.
These conditions may be classified
under three heads: QD Dead teeth,
(2) pyorrhea. cavities and 80 unsan-
itary crown and bridges.
Dead teeth are always a serious
menace to the health, and until some
new method Of treatment unknown TO
the dental profession today is found
they should all be extracted.
The results of pyOrrhea are next in
importance to the health of the pa
tient but many dentists fail to recog-
nize it in its earlier stages. 1t is es-
timated that rs per cent of the peo-
pie are affected with pyorrhea and
many investigators believe that il is
the cause of more teeth being lost
than any one other disease of the
mouth.
The effects of pyorrhea in the main
tainance of mouth health and on the
general health should be considered
much more seriously than they are.
The absorption of pus and infec-
tious matter that gathers in pyorrhea
pockets is gradually but surely alb
sorbed into the blood and lymph
streams and taken into the digestive
tract often resulting in very serious
Pyorrhea treatment is most effec-
tive when given in the earliest
stages. 1t is unfortunate that many
its first stages. They are inclined to
pass it off as a simple local irrita-
tiOn" or a normal recession of the
gums and give it no further attention
until the teeth become loose.
Where pyorrhea is recognized in
the earliest stage. which is charac-
terized by slightly swollen or bleed
ing gums margins or slightly reced-
ing gums. much suffering and serious
results of the disease in its later
stages would be avoided.
In the treatment of pyorrhea no
case was ever cured by medicine
alone. while many cases have been
cured by Instrumentation alone. and
all cases can be cured if
of the process is not affect
ed.
Cavities should be filled and
crowns and bridges that cannot be
kept clean should be removed.
Mouth health and its relation to
medicine is of tremend-
)us importance to the public, as med
cal and meteorological Investigations
prove that many serious diseases or
ginate in the mouth, and can be cur
ed or prevented by the removal of the
causes.
Preventive medicine by removing
he cause of disease is more effective
n promoting public health than cur
ltive medicine, which treats disease
lfter it has gained a foot hold.
Wherever preventive medicine has
been applied its results have proved
o be a blessing to humanity.
The medical and dental professions
lave proved that a diseased mouth is
he direct cause of a large proper
ion of bodily ills, and the burden OF
for mouth health lies
noet1v with the dental nrofaesion