Milford chronicle., 1921-02-04
ASSESSED TEETH

,, The intelligent understanding nov
existing between the dental and medi
cal professions in regard to the rela
tiOn of infections of the teeth to the
general health is of the utmost in.
terest.
With the X-ray pointing its damning
finger to absecesses in the jaws, the
medical profession has awakened to
the importance of dental treatment,
and the fact that dental operations
have a direct bearing on the health
and even the life of the patient.
Assesses in the jaws are most US
ually formed at the roots of teeth
whose nerves have been killed by
dentists, but they may also be formed
/ by natural causes; such as having the
NERVES killed from injuries, shocks
from heat and cold, etc. Pus and abs
cessed areas are also formed in py-
orrhea.
In these infections of the jaws
(known as facial infection) nature US
ually causes these pus-forming areas
to be encapsulated or walled in, and
therein lies the great danger, for even
in the most severe infections the pa
tient is unaware that there is any
thing wrong with their teeth because
they suffer no pain.
In cases of acute abscess the in
fammatory conditions are so severe
that the individual is usually forced
by pain to do something at once. This
calls to mind an incident, brought to
the attention of the writer recently,
of a young lady who called in the
family physician to prescribe for an
acute abscess. Her face was swollen
and she was suffering excruciating |
pain. The physician advised her to |
wait three days and then have the |
tooth extracted. If she had had |
splinter in her finger would he have |
advised her to wait three days? Any
physician should know that immedi-
ate drainage of any pus cavity is the
only quick and safe cure. Let us be
thankful that such ignorance is rare.
Students Of diseases tell us that or
binary infections end in suppuration,
absorption and resolution. Focal in
however, never end.
In simple infections a boil, for in
stance, the germs and their poisons
ire carried away by the white corpus {
lies and discharged thru an opening !
when the part affected is soon return s
ID to normal. s
Focal infections differ, in that there '
s a continued process of absorption I
# pus going on continually. This con- t
tant poisoning of the tissues by the 7
and their poisons fl n
ally causes a destruction of some of F
he red blood cells to such an extent G
hat blood count will show reduc- c
ion in the number. 1t also causes an
lcrease in the number of white blood I
ellis which are natures second line e
E defense in times of stress. -
These white cells have the power of !,
motion. They can change u
leir shape and pass into the tissues
will. These are the cells which 70
lay the important part in infectious IC
sease by attacking, devouring and II
9stroying invading heterogeneous Sc
They also work their way back in
the blood stream and carry the mi W
o-organisms and their toxins to dis al
mt parts of the body. The blood
unit is very valuable in such cases tr
cause the decreased number Of red w
lis and increased number of white
lis shows just one fact-infection Pl
lis change in the blood is called an hi
Tia, and, while it may be slight, yet Be
is followed by indirect arrangements
the digestive and nervous mechan- an
n, causing a gradual falling off in ed
alth and vitality. an
When the blood stream is constant Su
poisoned by pus germs continuous
poured into it, there must come a zio
le when the resistance is broken ~, H.
vn and some part of the human ma y
ne must be laid up for repairs. 80
There is one treatment, and only leu leu
J, for focal infection, as a means for nel
airing up other systematic condition ~!
l that is surgical removal. Where = Ell
teeth are infected at their root r.
Is, they should be extracted and the MT
cavities carefully curetted to re- uay
We all diseased tissues. Bad dental I
gerry is responsible for many of anC
Sc conditions. Good dental surgery pas
rectify them.