The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-05-10
NUTRITION KEY
TO SOUND TEETH
DIR. Howe Says Children's
Food Would Rot Teeth
of Guinea Pig.
COULDN'T STAND 1T
OVER TWO MONTHS

Thinks Notion tina Poor Teeth Are Re
sponsible for Systemic Diseases Is
Wrong-Babies Should Not Be Given
Artificial Foods. .
BOSTON, May 10.-At the final lee
ture of the series given under the auspices
of the Harvard medical school, DIR. Percy
r. Howe, assistant professor of dental
research at Harvard and in charge of
the research at the Forsyth Dental
Clinic, spoke on Effects of Nutrition
Upon Tooth Development.
THE same food which you give your
children" said DIR. Howe, IF fed to
guinea pigs will produce decay in from
one to two moths. Decay is so common
it is well to look carefully into the
causes. There are probably more indi-
viduals ingaged in the repair of teeth
than in the care of any one other patho-
logical condition. So serious has it be-
come that the British government has
appointed a commission to investigate
the causes
Belief as to Sugars and Starches.
1T is commonly believed that the col
lection of sugars and starches about the
teeth. which then ferments and forms
an acid, is the cause of decay. This may
or may not be true. At any rate we
must look further to find the funda-
mental causes. One thing we know is
that primitive races living on natural
foods are free from dental decay. but il
they come in contact with civilization
and refined foods decay al once sets in.
Recently the skull of a prehistoric man
was found in central Africa, which
showed signs of dental decay, the
earliest on record. Whatever the cause
for this, we may be sure that it was not
from visiting o fountains or candy
counters.
Another matter of common belief is
that poor teeth are responsible for sys-
temic diseases. To my mind this is
natural accompaniment of poor health
and good teeth naturally go with good
health, but | do not believe that one is
the result of the other. Nutrition and not
any disease germ is the cause of pyor-
rhea. Both disease and tooth defects are
the cause of a fundamental change in
the constitution. 1t is CURIOUS that oply
those races which use the toothbrush
nave dental decay. Don't infer from that
that l am opposed to the toothbrush.
for ii is a fine thing it is only that
these primitive races have no need of
ii.
Necessary Foods.
The two things necessary for good
teeth are calcium and those substances
necessary for a proper use of the cal
cium by the body. These latter are
called food accessory fats or yitamines
and are divided into three classes Fat
soluble A: water soluble b. which Is
taken out of white flour; and the anti
scorbutics. which are supplied by green
fresh vegetables and fruits such as
oranges and lemons.
For the sake of sound teeth proper
nutrition should be begun as early a.
possible. \ mother should always nurse
her child when possible instead of using
artificial foods She should be sure she
is eating proper foods not only for the
sake of the child, but for her own sake
since the mother is always sacrificed for
the sake of the child. The next best thing
70 mothers milk is modified cows milk,
modified to prevent CLOTHING which rem
ders the calcium useless to the child. II
you know your COW and know that it has
good fresh green foods. fresh milk is bet.
ter thar p~asteurized. But in the city We
cannot know the source, SO we must de.
pend upon pasteurized milk and supple
ment il by orange juice"
/. DR.. Howe showed many slides of the
jaws and teeth of animals fed on