Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-12-30

OCAtoA 4ASaASA
Education
Figures show that u OF
of the two year old children
have some dental decay. In
some of our communities as
many as three-fourths of the
kindergarten children n av e
dental disease. Apparently,
dental diesease is even more
cannon than the common
cold. But even so, why all
this educational work and
promotion and publicity just
to get teeth filled? Probably
the main reason is that the
dentists studying this prob
lem all over the country re-
port that children's teeth are
decaying six times as fast as
they are b e in 6 filled. To
save children's teeth, we
must impress upon parents
as well as children the i'm
portance of certain preven-
tive measures, normal mouth
hygiene, and the value of the
services of their dentists.
Prevented Tooth Decay
One approach has been taken
this problem of preventing
$obth decay. 1t has been dis
covered that there is a close re-
lationship b w e en- refined
sugars, such as are found in all
kinds of sweets, candies, chew
ing gums, soft drinks and the
other things that youngsters
particularly like, and the incl
dence of carious teeth. There is
a very close relationship be-
a bacterium carrying the fancy
name e of lactobacilluS acldo-
philus which lives on this
sugar and produces an acid, ana
the number of damaged teeth.
Researchers have f n d that
when certain compounds of am
monia, particularly dibaSic am
monium phosphate is used with
urea as a cleansing agent for the
teeth there is marked reduc-
Nm in the number of these
bacteria in the mouth and a
marked reduction in the num-
ber of teeth that develop carries.
If children will brush their
teeth after each meal with
tooth powder containing these
substances it makes a great diff
ference in the condition of their
teeth in later years.
Another factor that enters
this picture is this business
about sugar. Apparently, some
months are 50 heavily infected
with this bacteria that causes
tooth decay, that the only way
the bacteria can be controlled
is to eat diet low in sugar in
order to starve the bacteria. For
some few individuals this must
be added to the other things.
nd then, of course, mechanical
entistry is important too. Ere
quent dental care started very
early in life lets the little cavi-
ties be found and treated before
they grow up into big ones that
may affect the inner structure
of the tooth and ultimately lead
to toothache, abcesses and the
loss of teeth that we need so
badly. Also it happens that some
teeth haven't developed proper
ly. On the chewing surfaces
little pits and cracks or fissures
fail to close when the tooth is
formed. Food and bacteria
gather in these and form the
acids that lead to tooth decay.
Opening up these little holes
and filling them with the ma
terials customarily used by den
lists is good preventive dentis-
try and helps save teeth that
otherwise would be lost.
Shildren Do Learn
The Importance of dental edu-
cation that teaches children not
only how to care for their teeth,
but also the value of dental
service is we'll illustrated by
little story l heard the other day
about some youngsters wh o
were playing together. The
older two, one was kindergarten
and the other was first grade,
had had pleasant relations with
the family dentist. At home and
in their contacts with teachers
they had learned that people
should have early and frequent
dental care. 1t was only reason
able then, when their four year
old cousin visited them that
they should show up in the
family dentists's office to have
he cousins teeth examined. The
lntists found that these chill
dren had come of their own free ,
will without asking their par ,
ents because they were sold on
the idea that this little cousin
needed dental care. Odd as it
may seem they were right. The
dentist found two small cavies.
He treated them without hurt
ing the youngster and that
.youngster as well as his two I
older cousins now belong to the {
ranks of those who look with