The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-02-09
MENTION OF DENTAL CARRIES

The first time ] ventured to question the efh- cacy of toothbrushing as q measure for the pre- servation of the teeth narrowly escaped losing my head. There s a familiar saying, better Il live coward than dead hero. Better, find, to
 tell only half the truth than not to tel! at all. Each time I repeat the insinuation to the enect teeth unless he wanted to--and If he were my
 kid 1 doubt he'd ever want to--the reaction IS
 little less alarming. The last time got the good word to the kids of this country the only response ! noted bunch of anonymous letters of scurrllous type.
 Drs Bunting, Hadley, Jay and Hard recently reported in of the medical journals devoted to chdrens health and diseases. the results or some experiments made through q period of year on five groups of children, each group of from 74 to 159 youngsters being first examined particularly as to the condition of the teeth then placed the general regimen and after year of this re-examined. Some of these groups were children in state institutions. hence under satis, factory control. one group was public school children The first two groups were provided with q satisfactory diet, except no sugar was hl- the regular meals paatable MIX. fruit and the greens green vegetables were the important items of the diet These children were also re- auired to use an antiseptic mouthwash daily. third group, public school children, were re- a..red to antaeptic mouthwash daily third group. publ'-- school children, were re- auired 10 use the antiseptc mouthwash daily, but their diet was not controlled or regulated The
 fourth grup, children in state public school
 were provided with m unusually good though
 not ideal diet. and not required to use the anti septic mouthwash. The fifth group were not reg
 
 Now let us sec what general effects these ob- gcrvers found in these various groups or children After year the first two groups of children
 contained 79 and 80 per cent of children free
 yer" marked cavities. The third group, who used the nntseptic mouthwash but no partcu-
 lar diet contained 90 per cent of children With active carries and only 25 per cent with no cavi- ties The fourth group who had used no mouth | antlscpsis and had received Just an ordinary
 good diet, contained 75 per cent of children with normal mouths and 6 per cent, With actlVe | carries The fifth group, just control group without any regulation of diet mouth antiscp- sis contained 48 per cent of children with nc- tive carries and IS per cent free from cavities.
 From ,hr actual test oh ntsnnsis is g, t tie if any value in the preservation of the teeth.
 but diet which includes liberal proportions oi pure fresh milk. fresh fruits and fresh greens and vegetables tends to save the teeth from de- cay. . of fresh cggs when eggs are not excessivey
 priced And fresh butter and all other dairy pro-
 duets should be provided literally for growing children, aE well hs pure ffcbh milk.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 4 Temporary Tooth
 Our baby ID months old fell and struck his | chin. io0scning three teeth. One tooth Is still 1 loose. but the others frightened uD again. This
 loose had "A gumbO,l on 1t which our doctor | opened. should this t0oti, bc drawn or should we try to save h? (S. J. PD
 Answcr--f cannot advise without examina. I ton. The tooth Is n temporary tooth and will be replaced later by q permanent tooth in any event. | Another Moiar Goes Hayxirc I have aD imIDnctcd third mOlnr which ts
 pressing against a crowned second inOlar, appar- cntIy. Would you say this might bc the cause | of a speech difficulty that have developed Iatc- | ly-I can't seem to make my tongue work in pro- | nopncng many ordinary words. Miss E. MJ | Answer-At any rate think it would be worth while to have the inspection relieved by surgery. No Juicc | 4 year ago my physician dIagnoscd my trouble
 as achyIIa gastrica Gin plain language absence Of | gastrict Jucc) and prescribed for me My health | has improved but ! am still taking the medicine | I have been told it Will bc necessary for me to | use Or sucl, medicine harmful? Does the absenc. of the natural stomach sccrctt0ns nt one time in l dicatc it will never be sccrctcd again? (Mrs C. M)
 | Answer--The medicine will not harm you if you strictly adhere to the doctors directions. Ben Told may well be left out of the council of doc- | tors sitting on your case. The absence of gas- ] tric juice at one time is no indication that you will not have plenty at another time.