Evening star., 1945-01-12
BY GEORGE KENNEDY.

SSSd4 1l1NSll lCoSo oOC w
a development of naval dentistry.
This new method of lessening
dental decay was described to the
District of Columbia Dental Society's
January meeting by 1t. Comdr.
Phelps Murphey of the faculty Of the
Naval Dental School at Bethesda.
1t is a new use of a chemical used
by the profession for years to pre-
vent continuation of decay in cavi-
ties-silver nitrate Every one who
has sat in dentists chair remem-
bers that horrid tasting and smell
ing stuff.
Dentists never used it on the sur
face of the teeth as preventive
because it turns the teeth black.
I'VE would be sued by our pa
tients," said Comdr. Murrhey after
the talk.
Comdr. Murphey showed fas-
cinated audience at the District
Medical Society Building, 17l8 M
street NV, how they have been
applying it in the Navy without dis
coloration and with very encourag-
ing results.
Three Little Bottles.
Three little bottles are used in
the process. The first contains the
silver nitrate, the second one of
those complex chemical compounds
In the aniline dye group and the
third calcium chloride. The second
precipitates the silver nitrate into
a clear crystal which penetrates the
tiny holes in the enamel of the
teeth. This clears up the discolora-
ton Of the teeth except for certain
chalky formations These latter are
bleached by an application of the
cadmium chloride from the third
bottle.
Any dental assistant capable of
cleaning teeth can apply the treat
ment and the prophylactic effect
lasts year or more.
The whole process is not quite as
simple as suggested above. In a
pedantic, step-by-step lecture IL
Illustrated by slides, Comdr. Murphey
outlined the subject of his lecture,
"A Clinical Routine for Dental
Carries Control" Carries are cavities
caused by dental decay.
Outlines Method.
He outlined a method of examina-
ton by the dentist with the sharp
tine of an instrument, of x-ray
examination and of tabulating the
locations and extent of carries de-
terioration. He showed them a
simple method for measuring the
quantity of lactobacillus acidophilus
in the saliva of their patients in
their own laboratories. He outlined
a diet low in hydrocarbides (bread,
potatoes and sweets) which would
reduce the bacillus count in few
days to point where the silver nj
trate prophylactic treatment could
be effectively given. After that the
patient can resume eating bread,
potatoes and sweets.
In this connection, when one of
the dentists asked him if alcohol and
tobacco caused dental decay, he said
that in his opinion they did not but
that beer because of its high hydro
carbon content did. Beer drinkers,
pie, bread and cake eaters and those
who eat sweets are more susceptible
to carries" he said.
400 Have Been Treated.
About 400 of the naval personnel
at the Bethesda Medical Center
have been treated and they are
being periodically examined to see
how effective the process has been
in stopping decay.
Capt. Rae D. Pitton, U. S. NJ,
head of the Naval Dental School,
who introduced Comdr. Murphey,
said, This nitrate of silver prophy-
laxis is being carried out by two
universities. With all due respect
to their work, we think we are
ahead Of them in this development
and we are very encouraged by the
way it is going"
After the lecture, Comdr. Murphey,
who comes from Dallas, Tex, told
how he started work on the method.
He was an orthodontist, kept busy
wiring the buck teeth Of the chill
dren of the well-to-do. Carries are
likely to occur under the wires. Dur
ing a year in Vienna, where he
studied histology tissue structure), /,
he tried to find out why.
Work in Orphanages.
Back IN Dallas he had charge of
the dental work for four orphan
ages. There were more children than
q practicing dentist could possibly
take care Of in his institutional
rounds, SO he did everything he
could to reduce tooth decay.
I'VE stuffed the kids with scal-
|cium," he said. THAT didn't do any
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