Year: 1875

Intimate Relation OF the stomach


and the Teeth


How pleasant it is to sit down in
the dentist chair, lay ones head up
on the hard little velvet pillow, and
experience the exquisite delight of
having dentists clammy fingers
pOked about among ones bicuspids
and morals. Almost every one has
known at some time this pleasure,
and all feel a dread of It's recurrence.
The accompaniments of dentistry
are so disagreeable, the numberless
little steel instruments which bear
an agonizing part, in many poor
creatures mouth land to me it does
not add to the pleasure to know
that they have been in a hundred
other mouths beside my OWN, the
disguizing rubber and string, and
bits of cotton and paper, and that
whirring machine; how it makes one
shudder to think of it! Then when
we think that great deal of this
suffering can be prevented if the
proper measures be taken, how
strange it seems that people do not
take those measures. In the first
place children are not given the
right kind of food when their teeth
are forming. Food containing phOs-
phate Of lime ought to be fed to
young children; milk, oatmeal
cracked wheat and beans all contain
this principle in a high degree. All
through the teething period, from the
time the baby begins to fret, until the
second set and even the wisdom
teeth have appeared, great care
ought to be taken of the diet, so that
good, wholesome and strengthening
food only may enter the system,
building up instead of wasting the
forces during the growing period.
The perfection of everything in our
whole bodies seems depends upon the
state of the stomach, and hence, to
resolve itself into the question which
has been greatly agitated in these
columns of late. It seems strange
that the food which we take into
our systems affects the little bones
by which it is made fit for our stom-
achs. After having done our duty
with regard to the formation of the
teeth, and having brought them to
light in as good condition as posi-
bic, our next care is to keep them
so. We cannot begin too early to
use soft brush upon the pearls of
tbs little ones, for, by keeping the
first teeth in good order, they re-
main longer in the mouth and allow
the permanent set to come to greater
perfection. By beginning thus ear
ly the cleanly habit is formed and
will probably never be departed
from in after life. The teeth should
be brushed at least twice a day
Night and morning, but many peo-
pie do so after each meal. This may
not be necessary, but it can certainly
do no harm. 1t is especially import
ant to brush them at night because
the food being in the teeth all night
putrefes and produces more decay
than at any other time. During the
day if there be any substance be-
tween the teeth, it is likely to be re-
moved in some way or other, while
at nigh it is sure to remain. The
gasses arising from the stomach, are
a great source of the decay of teeth.
Powerful acids or sweets (which
becomes acids in process of diges-
tion) all affects the teeth unfa-
vorably, as the acid gas arising dis
solves the protecting enamel, there
by rendering the teeth liable to be
eorroded by anything which enters
the mouth. Almost all the eosmet-
les for the teeth, like Cherry tooth
paste and Sozodont, containing in
furious matter in the shape of per-
fumes and sweetening to make the m
pleasant to taste. As for myself,
pure cold water and pretty stiff
brush is quite as sufficient, although
once in while l use a little cam
phorated chalk to destroy any ami
malcul@ that may have accumula-
ted-(that green substance seen up
on the teeth is Icing animal matter.
Once month little finely powder
ed charcoal does no harm. But
when any of these foreign substan-
ees are used, the mouth should be
thorOugly clesnsed, as they all pro
duce decay Many people inherit
bad teeth, but,this is the fault of
their parents and grandpaI ents, and
they can only take an extra amount
of care of their g teeth while they
last, It only takes a few moments
of each day to keep the teeth IN a
presentable condition, and it certain
ly pays to have fine looking teeth.
How often we hear it said of people
that are pretty 'till they open their
mouths" As it is our duty to be as
beautiful as possible, why, brush up
then! s-..r s,,.,-. .r v-