Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1921-04-08
IMPORTANCE OF MOUTH HY-
GENE DURING CHILDHOOD
Harry 3. Butler. D. D. s.

Nt~ = r. - ~ tcfll-l SLIn4 u
+ fRead before Session On Child Hygiene
American Public Health Assn at san
. francisco, Calf Sept- rs. 1921
Published IN April Number Of Am
Journal Of HEALTH
Civilization is robbing the hu--s
man race OF its teeth. and
t0othless man seems not far
distant The possibility Of
education 70 a coarser diet aD-
pears 70 ~ remote. 50 the most
helpful coarse lies IN prpphy-
lsctic measures The field is
the most promising missionary
Of preventive dentistry
Z n communities where rational mouth
hygiene has been accepted there has
been a reduction IN percentage Of
cases Of illness among school children
{ AT Bridgeport Conn dIptheria has
( been reduced from ss-5 per cent 10 I8.
per cent Measles from 20 per cent
70 II per cent; Scarlet fever frOEa IA
T per cent 70 0-5 rer cent Similar re-
SUITS appear wherever careful rec1rds
have been kept
3 Little attention is given 70 the
mouths Of the little ones Oh the as
sumption that since the first teeth
viii be replaced By the permanent set,
no particular attention 70 them is nee
essary and in this the average den
tfst Is the chief offender Putreseent
{ pulps Assesses and endless colonies Of
{ pathological organisms are allowed 10
. remain and the resnonsi biiity Is thrown
upon nature Modern dentistry is
more deEcient along this line than any
ether. The normal absorption Of roots
takes place only when the physiological
integrity of the pulp IS preserved and
the life Of the pulp IS essential %
normal dentition- Much OS the NAL
ossusion in ths adult Is rraceablz 20 the
death Of the pulp in the first tooth
Medicine and dentistry have long
been practise5 as separate professors 5
The medical man has left the mouth
entirely 10 the dentist and the dentist
has worked along mechanical lines 70
Z the exclusion OF pathology. and n this
both professions are a. fault
/ The greatest benefit Of the X-ray u
mankind IS the closer relationship of
the medical and dental man. The
problem OF caring for the mouths Os
the little ones is an exceedingly i'm
portant one and il must be met. face
and solved by the best efforts OF bot2f
medical and dentistry.
+ Juts as in preventive medicine Hes
the greatest good IN all medical sciencs
50. too. in dental prophyIaxis Is 70 r.
found establishment OF a dental cliu ,
/ IN a school and the employment -
competant person 70 care for tfe
mouths OF the younger children CON =
nearest 70 the requirement
Among other important neasnt
that may be instituted Is the too-i -
brush drill This feature OF nour't
hygiene must not be underestimate
in It's value All will admit the diff =
Guilty OF getting the average child -
habitually brush his hair or teeth b
in children We md herd instinct 10 -
very strong AS soon as the first b.
appears at school in the srringtiu->
with his marbles. all sewing. cookn-
and other domestic activities in t.
homes of the other boys must cease
until the last years marbles are foc-
ted. Children will give vzrions
amusing excuses 70 avoid the oruShir--
OF their teeth However given the Id 3,
that is IS a perfectly proper procee1u-'
and one practiced by the other chill =
ren. the acceptance OF the mouth tol-
let rs a part OF the regular routiEs
becomes another matter In this hcs
the greatest value OF the toothbrush
drill and not in the actual BRUSHING
AZ the time Let Us by all means have
these drills. but let US see that prop
methods OF brushing be adopted an1
; let US use reason IN carrying the1l
out
We teach the use OF the fndividuaI
cup: We urge the children 70 refrain
from putting pencils in their mouths,
= - -
greatest OF dangerous habits. coughirz-
and sneezing without protecting orr
nsiShbors. Let Us hold these drill o.
Of doors. Wet your toothbrush AZ
rub the end OF your thumb over TIE
bristles and note the spray that ii
from IL In these toothbrush drills J
rs not 50 proceed that we create
worse condition than would be creats~i
BY promiscuous coughing and sneezinS-
We're there no other beneft TO 70
derived from the use OF the toothbruSs
than that OF TIE physiological effe-
produced il would still be wei wor-l
our while. Booker =. Washingt1
noted a marked relation between or-il
hygiene and mentality. He stated II
as soon as he could set eolored ms1
TO use a toothbrush that he could NAL
q man Of him.
Every hygienic measure adopt
strengthens the position OF others tnaS
can approach the hygiene OF the ncusn
IN Importance In preventive Hedici'--
there IS no measure which is as far
reaching. and in the matter OF expen
Citure Of tirae or OF money in carrying
out : mouth hygiene program the re-
turns in each and every case stanp
il as much more than = measure 81
economy.
Excerpts taken from the Ame-7coH
Journal Of Healthy
r. ...-,hs-x ~ tho Public Heat,