The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-01-30
SOFT DECAYING TEETH

The teeth of young Americans, after all, are nothing to be proud of, however pretty they may be made to appear in pictures used to sell soap.
 But this is not the place to dis cuss the loss of or the conserVa-, tion of teeth. If you are interested in that, read Nutrition and Phy- sical Degeneration" by Weston A. Price, D. D. S., and Save Your Teeth" by one guess whom, the first being available in your public H. brary, no doubt, the second being No. l Little Lesson in the Ways of Health, which you may have on request if you send twenty-five cents and stamped envelope pear ing your address.
 Here I offer in brief my opinion or belief in regard to soft decay ing teeth in young persons.
 I believe the trouble is due to (a) insufficient use of teeth, gums and jaws in ehewing-due to the exces- sive refinement and "purification" a modern food-and (b) nutrltlonal deficiency-due to the same pro- cessing of most food.
 To combat I do NOT recom- mend chewing gum, tobacco or other foreign substance, but l do recomend chewing plain wheat - carrying a small supply with you and taking a good chew of it when ever you feel the desire. Of course such use of teeth, gums and jaws is but feeble effort. The ideal use of teeth, gums and jaws in eating natural foods, together with the better nutrition such foods provide. would account for the beautiful teeth and splendid dental arch, gum and jaw development Dr. Price found among numerous civilian and savage people in various parts ot the world, whose diet is not too much refined - and who as yet have not been sold the stupid Yankee notion of brushing the teeth with glorified soap.
 To combat b I recommend 1n- cluding in the everyday diet more liberal proportions than are gener- ally, consumed of the high calcium foods particularly m ilk, cheese, greens. fresh raw vegetables and slightly cooked vegetables, egg yolks, nuts peanuts - and either taking daily vitamin D supple ment or getting more daily exposure to sunshine, sky shine, daylight so that the ultraviolet may actlv- ate ergosterol in the skin to con- vert it into vitamin D.
 From my own observations of the development of children from birth up to the teens I am convinced that regular use of Vitamin D supplement for the diet throughout infancy and childhood and some extra calcium with it throughout childhood promotes the formation of sound, even, strong teeth free from decay And I cite the study of pr. Price again as the solid gound under my suggestion that an adequate daily ration of calcium and vitamin D promotes not just q healthy, vigorous state of teeth, gumes, dental arches, jaws and fla cial development but an equally fine general physique.
 The infant whose diet is princip- ally milk may get sufficient calcium from milk alone, if a daily ration of a few drops of vitamin D in oil is administered. As the baby grows older, as a rule relatively less milk is taken, and hence a calcium and vitamin D supplement for the or dinary diet becomes necessary for optimal nutrition throughout child hood particularly if the growing child does not consume milk, cheese and greens as freely as a young per- son should and does not enjoy sUf- ficlent exposure the year around.