The Washington times., 1935-11-27
* Discusses Separate Vacations for Married Couples
Health
What Causes
Tooth Decay?
BY LOGAN CLENDENING, M. d

1t was not so very many years
ago that we were told that in
order to preserve our teeth in
healthy condition the only thing
we had to do was to- keep them
clean.
1t is certainly true that tooth
decay, or dental carries, Is caused
by the action Of germs. If the
mouth Is kept clean and antisep-
tic, so the leaders Of the clean
liness theory said, the germs can
not exist, and there can be no be-
ginning Of dental carries.
But about the time the vitamins
came into prominence q new idea
was advanced, which was that "
the tooth is kept in a state Of good
health, If its internal resistance
is high, the germs can find no
place to lodge. This state Of Sood
health and high resistance was,
according to this idea, maintained
by the vitamins, particularly Vita.
min c and Vitamin D.
Right Diet
Vitamin c is found in fresh
fruits and vegetables, and -Titamin
D is found in egg yolk, butter,
cream and cod liver oil.
So for a while on the walls of
dentists offices you found pla'
cards advocating diet rich in
these. substances as a method Of
prevention of dental carries. It
must be said for the credit of the
dentists that they have always
been trying to do their part in
preventive dentistry, and it has
been an evidence of their progres.
siveness that these placards have
appeared so conspicuouSly.
Just recently the dietary theory
has suffered a little setback A
careful investigator decided to
find out, in the teeth of animals
whether heavy doses of vitamin
D and calcium over long period
Of time actually would increase
the amount of calcium in the den.
tine. which is the bulk of tooth
tissue.
Neither by weight nor by chem.
ical analysis could it be proved
that this treatment with vitamin
D increased . the amount of cal
cium in the dentine. Although at
the same time it was noted that
XrayS showed a considerable in
crease in the density of the bones
it was concluded that it was hav.
ing some physiological action in
the body in spite of apparent lack
of action on the teeth. The
weight of evidence, however, is sc
strong that vitamin D does in
crease tooth health and tooth re
Sistance that we must assume
there is some other factor in
volved than adding to the amount
Of calcium in the dentine.
Both Methods
It is a good thing to revive
the discussion, for the real harm
was done by the extremists or
either Side-the chieftains-whC
said we no longer needed to USE
the toothbrush, and the tooth
brushers who ignored the influ
ence of the vitaminS.
am in receipt of a lette1
from a dentist who says that HI
hopes the dietary experiment!
will not stop people from the
old-time habit of the toothbrush
1t seems to me this is com
mon sense point of view.
It is certain that no tootf
paste or tooth powder will. en-
tirely free the mouth Of germs
They will always be present, ant
they will always be ready tt
enter a small crack or defect o.
place of minor resistance in thu
tooth structure. The vitamin!
certainly help to prevent these
defects from appearing on thu
tooth surface.
Isn't it sensible, therefore, tt
use both methods and continue
with our mouth hygiene as vel
as with our dietary preventive
measures for tooth health?
Editors note: Six pamphlets
by DR.. Clendening can now bt
attained by sending 10 cents ir
coin, for each, and a self-ad
dressed envelope stamped with
three-cent stamp, to DR.. Logan
Clendening, in care Of this paper
The pamphlets are: indigestion
and Constipation" Reducing
and Gaining" Infant Feeding,
instructions for the Treatment
of Diabetes" feminine Hygi
enc" and The Care Of the Hail
and Skin"