The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-08-23


his column.
great new science Of bacteriology
which had opened a whole vista of
explanations for the cause Of dis
ease-germs were the offenders
and all you mad to do was to search
diligently enough and the culprit
would be revealed.
Germs explained everything,
and the dental profession, which
has always showed an equal alert
ness with the medical profession
in fresh discoveries, shared the
enthusiasm of those great days of
the new science. And since they
were able to culture germs from
the cavities of all decayed teeth,
the germ explanation was a per-
fectly natural one.
But as time went on and the
new science of bacteriology began
to strain little at the seams, peo-
pie asked some questions that 1t
was not quite capable of answer
ing.
Causes of Soft Teeth
Germs caused dental carries all
right, but why, for instance, did
the Jones family have so much Of
it and the Smith family right next
door have none? Both are exposed
to germs. Even more peculiar,
why does a dentist in one little
town see carries in nearly all his
patients and the dentist in neigh
boring town, man who is profess
sionally equally as alert as his COL
league, hardly ever see it at all ?
This is to raise the old phrase
about the seed and the soil. Some
teeth are hard and resistant to in
lection and others make fertile
ground.
The answer that has been re-
ceiving more and more universal
acclaim is that the food and nutri-
ton of the individual make his
teeth hard and resistant. | have
before me the statement from q
leading teacher of dentistry who
says, Carries e. e., dental decay
can be prevented and arrested by
dietary measures alone" And an
other goes so far as to say that he
can go into a dental clinic and tell
the condition of the dairy herds in
that community simply by examin-
ing the children's teeth.
Diet and Teeth
Milk that has a good content
OF calcium and phosphorus, for
these chemicals are the basis of
tooth structure; a country where
there are many days of sunshine
so that the children can have sun
baths and store up a good supply
of vitamin D; plenty Of orange
juice or lemonade or limeade to
give them vitamin C; vegetables
which supply the B vitamin group,
such as beans and peas, whole
wheat bread, cream cheese, butter,
eggs-all these supplied in the
daily food menus assure a popu-
lace with strong teeth.
Not only is tooth health or carries
a sign Of the up-to-dateness Of the
dairy and farming activity Of a
community, but the teeth are TO
this extent an extremely good in
dex to the general health Of the
individual. A professor in a dental
college showed me an astonishing
case the other day-a child who
was sent to the dental clinic by an
orthepedic surgeon because she
kept having broken bones so often.
He wanted the dentist to correct
her diet.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
D. R.:-What is q varicocele!
And is it durable?
Answer: A varicocele is a group
Of varicose veins in the scrotum-
IL Is readlly cured by surgery.
G. J. B.:-Should a person in
clined to have high blood pressure
do heavy work and vigorous ex-
ercises? Would losing weight
bring blood pressure down TO
normal?
Answer: II seems to me COM
mon sense answers the first part
Of the question-"No." Work and
exercise increase the blood pres
sure. You can blow the head of
any machine by raising the pres
sure high enough. Reducing
weight helps the general condi-
ton, but does not materially at
feet the pressure itself