Milford chronicle., 1920-01-09
TEETH AND HEALTH
DENTISTRY IN THE MAN
By R. ALLEN GRIFFITH. D. D. S.


DENTISTRY IN THE WAR
The lack OF adequate preparation fol
the war on the part of the government
is too well known to need comment
The process of awakening the people
! TO a realization of their danger and
what war means was slow. tedious
and extremely difficult. Even now. in
stead of conserving our war material
and working out a method of universal
military training, we have the spec
tacle of certain members of our gov
ernlng body junking the war material
and chasing the rainbow of disarma-
ment.
Eternal vigilance is the price OF
liberty. Dentistry was the only or
ganized profession at the outbreak of
the war and the only branch of the
service that was 100 per cent efficient.
Long before the outbreak of hos
tilities dentists in various parts of the
country organized to properly care
for the teeth of the soldiers in the
event of this country being drawn in
to the war. The sight displayed by
the profession is in striking contrast
with the lack of activity elsewhere.
All over the country dental societies
were organized to assist the exemption
boards. The Preparedness League of
American Dentists was formed, the
members of which threw their offices
open and placed the teeth of recruits
in proper condition without charge to
the government
The far-reaching benefit of the work
done is realized when il is known that
the mouths of over 125,000 soldiers
were put in condition during the first
draft call.
The tremendous amount of work
done and its importance becomes ap-
parent when it is known that over 10
per cent of the first draft could only
qualify physically for army service
after their teeth had been put in prop
er condition.
The question now is, Will all this
work that has been shown to be so
necessary to the physical welfare of
our boys be thrown away or will il be
Only through compulsory
service can this work be car
ried on by both the medical profess
sions. Under the compulsory military
service the 25 per cent of young men
that were shown to have easily rene
diable physical defects can be made
whole. The lectures and demonstra-
tions they will receive will be an ed
ucatiOn in themselves. Only under
can young men be made
10 see the advantages of physical well
fare. Only six months of their time
IS required, but there should be a pro-
yision that they present themselves for
physical examination annually for five
rears in order that they may be kept
n a sound physical condition. This /
would be of inestimable value to the
Individual, to the State and to the 4
lation.
No man can be a good soldier or be |
n good physical condition without .
,Ood, clean teeth. One man who had .
'een rejected on account of bad teeth /
emarked: you do not expect men to /
'at the Germans?" 1t is an old saying /
hat IAN army travels on its stomach" (
low can man have a good digestion
Without thorough mastication, and
rmy food is usually food that is hard
o chew. Many of the wounds in the
ate war were wounds in the head, and
n infected mouth meant infected
Wounds. Hence the paramount i'm
ortance of the mouth. The dental
rofession made a record in the late
7ar of which is may be justly proud.
hall the Preparedness League of Am
rican Dentists be dissolved or shall
re perpetuate it for universal military
aiming