Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-19
YOU'RE
HEALTH
KEEP YOUR TEETH WELL
By ROYAL S. COPELAND, M. D
Commissioner y Health. New York CIV

Commissioners Of Health. New York C:u
If you have never had a tooth ex-
tracted you do not know what an un-
comfortable experience it is. But bad
as it il, it is a vastly better operation
than it used TO be. Local anesthetics
and cleanliness have robbed the pro
cedure Of most Of its pain and many
of the uncomfortable after-effects.
The man who pulled my first tooth
has been dead so many years that /
can speak freely of the unpleasant
event. As | recall it, the dentist had
hold of his forceps with both hands
and had his foot against my chest
to keep me in the chair. OF ours
| terror and the undeadened pain may
have magnified some of'the features
of the operation, but l have related
it exactly as | recall the experience.
But even though this may strike you
as "A terrible affair, it isn't the lack
of surgical technique of which | COM
plain. What makes me mad is to
think of having q tooth extracted
merely because it had Il trifling cavity
W l IL tliBt hNi " III h1AhsAS 49,
sues. Today, a dentist would be dis
missed from his dental society if he
made a practice Of removing such
teeth.
Dentists Save Teeth
The modern dentist saves teeth.
Extraction is the last resort. There
must be some disturbance in the zen
eral health. or decay past hope of
repair.
IT is natural for a person who has
had q night of torture with the tooth
ache to beg for relief. Immediate re-
movaI Of the pain is demanded. The
modern dentist refuses to be moved
and by his skill relieves the pain and
repairs the break.
There il a vast difference between
an inflamed and aching tooth and an
Assessed tooth or infected gums.
and life. If you have an abscess
somewhere YOU know it should be
drained. Pus must be gotten rid of
or serious effects follow. 1t is lust
as important to get rid of a dental
abscess or of pus infection in the
mouth.
Lots of persons past middle life go
about with bodies poisoned by pts.
from snagS. roots. decayed teeth and
pussy gums. If the doctor suggests
dental work. the patient objects, be
cause removal of the teeth. bad as
they are. will make it impossible to
chew the food.
In such a case the lesser of two
avis m1st be determined. 1t is far
better to trust to store teeth for
mastication of the food. than it is to
fake a chance on serious poisoning
from tho semitic material.
Chew Food Thoroughly
A question frequently asked by
mothers relates to the proper time OF
removing the first teeth. This is II
thing which takes care of itself us
ually, but if you are IN doubt nave
vour dentist look Mt the childs mouth
and advise you.
If fbe gums are greatly infected
your dentist will be likely to give
some treatment to clear up the puS
as much as may be. before extracting
the bad teeth. Ip this way, he avoids
the deeper infection which may occur
if the tissues are opened and liathed
in pus.
+eath Tbe early use of the tooth
brush and daily cleansing will prevent
conditions which lead to loss of these
valuable rgans
Thorough mastication is the first
steo in good digestion. To accomplish
this crushing and grinding OF the food
all teeth are essential. BUT II by
any chance You have developed a pus
infection in your mouth. get rh OF II.
even though must sacrifice a few
teeth. -
But before YOU make this sacrifice