Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-03
.Expec+an+
Mothers
Teeth Vital
Old Ideas Concerning
Them Blasted
BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING

BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENNG
0ENOR every baby, a tooth"
l. has long been q byword
among the old wives of the
household. but according to DR..
0. Lee Schattenburg. II is no
longer true.
DR.. Schattenburg Is associate
director of the bureau OF ma
ternal and child health where
nearly 200 obstetrical and pedi-
atric clinics have achieved re-
markable results in lowering
maternal and child death rates
in the last decade.
II Is also an unfounded idea
that to prevent miscarriage an
expectant mother mist avoid
the dentists chair.
Not only should the mother
have good care from the onset
OF pregnancy for her own sake,
but also for the sake of guard
ing the child against dental
defects.
In order to offer the child
protection against dental de-
fects, we must begin early in
pregnancy because il has been
demonstrated that. under un-
favorable circumstances, q child
may have considerable dental
defects at birth. even six months
before the teeth are due to
erupt.
At THE present time, OF
"A course. II In a universal
practice to give mother what
Is called prenatal care, which
means that she Is examined
regularly.
Her general. health Is assessed
and the integrity Of every organ
and every function OF her body
is severely tested.
Modern knowledge OF nutri-
ton will help to guard not only
her own health, but insure a
healthy and intentionally perfect
child.
The regimen for safeguarding
the teeth of the mother and
child Consists OF adherence 10
an adequate diet, including cal
cium and iron and a sufficiency
Of vitamins A, c and ID.
The only truth in the old
adage that 'for every child a
tooth" lies In the fact that in
supplying calcium for the bones
Of the growing child, this cal
cium might be taken away from
the mothers teeth.
II she gets an adequate sup
ply in her own diet no such
danger will exist
A MOTHER thing that IN
"A taken care of during this
period is dental infection.
This Ia very important. not
only In preserving the teeth
themselves. but in avoiding a
number OF obstetrical compli-
cations.
Modern obstetricians accept
dental sepsis rs being frequently
the background OF several i'm
portant complications and they
feel that they should insist on
the elimina ton Of dental sepsis
early In pregnancy.
Among these complications
are infection OF the pelvis of
the kidney, phlebitis finflamma-
nation Of the veins).
TEIE question OF painless child
Il birth is wrapped up with the
question Of painless dentistry.
neither OF which has an entirely
satisfactory solution at the
present time.
Envisioning q new type of
painless dentistry based on cleo
trical energy rather than drugs,
Doctor Schattenburg has said:
els II possible that IL the
cyclotrone can break up the
atom and give ~ raAio-sctive
substances, other forms Of cleo
trical energy can DO used to
block . nerve:
Tho x-ray can help ~ 30
visualize the tooth structure,
why can x-ray help ~ 70 block
out its pain perception ?"
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS
L. w--What effects do sui
fonamide drugs have on the
health when taken over a long
period of time? Would this
lead to high blood pressure
Answer: Sulfonamide drugs
are potentially very toxic and
should in no circumstances be
taken over a long period Of time.
even in small doses.
They lead to skin eruptions.
liver damage and have a general
effect on the nutrition and