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OUR BABIES

(By

"Hygoia.”)

Published under the auspioee of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women andfChildren. "It it wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom." , CARB OF CHILDREN’S TEETH. The following are extracts from an excellent leaflet just issued by the Education Department. Parents should grasp the fact that a summary of this Kind is not a mere visionary "counsel of perfection.’’ but represents the irreducible minimum to be taken seriously to heart by everyone charged with the fate of children. Attention to the simple matters drawn attention to would, as the leaflet, contends, “add to the child’s vigour and happiness, and help to ensure his future health and success in life.” DECAY OF TEETH CAN AND MUST ..BE PREVENTED IN THE INTERESTS OF • NATIONAL HEALTH. A clean 1 mouth is more important than dare of the child’s teeth will add to his vigour and happiness, and help to ensure his future health and success in life. I.—DECAYED TEETH CAUSE ILLHEALTH. 1. Bad teeth can give rise to such diseases as. blood-poisoning, consumption, pneumonia, diphtheria, rheumatism, ton- • silitis, and many others, because—(a) Disease-germs multiply rapidly in a decaying tooth. The minutes germs of the diseases mentioned mny lodge there and multiply by thousands in a few hours. (b) Disease-germs can enter the body through a decayed tooth. The decayed spot communicates with minute vessels that enter into the blood-stream and the tissues of the body. 2. Dad teeth cause stomach troubles, because poisonous material and germs are swallowed with every mouthful of food. This causes indigestion, bad breath- poor general health, and liability to disease as meritioned above. 3. Bad teeth render chewing difficult, or impossible, and food which is not thoroughly chewed and mixed with the saliva causes indigestion, constipation, and appendicitis. , j . 4. Bad teeth cause toothache, and chronic toothache makes children nervous and DBVEf|Op strong TEETH. 1. When it baby is born the buds of all the teeth, both first and second, are present under the sums, and ill-health and poor feeding interfere with their development. For the building of strong teeth in the baby the best food is the mother’s milk , . . . Breast feeding is extremely important for the proper development of the jaws and nose, and for the prevention of adenoids. (See the Plunket Society s bookfl During the second year and onwards the more dry. hard food a child can be Induced to masticate the better—crusts, oatcake, oven-dried whole-meal bread. White bread should be avoided. Wheatmeal bread nnd oatmeal foods contain elements essential for the building of strong teeth which are not contained in white bread. (See circular ' Suggestions to Parents.") 1 . ~ r . Vigorous chewing during the growing period is absolutely essential for the Proper development of the iaws. With a good set of teeth the habit of vigorous mastication becomes second nature, and soft food seems tasteless and unattractive

lII.—TO PREVENT DECAY. 1. Food lying in ’ the crevices of the teeth ferments and forms an acid, inis acid eats through the enamel and thus makes an entrance for germs of decay. This can be prevented by— . (a) Avoiding foods which stick in am. clog the teeth, especially chocolate, biscuits, cake, white bread., sweets, etc. Such food should never be eaten b« tween meals. . . (b) Finishing each meal with aela fruit, such as an apple or orange, which stimulates a cleansing flow of saliva. The saliva dissolves and washes away food particles and directly counteracts decay. . . (c) Regular cleansing of the teeth. The teetn should be gently brushed after each meal, upwards and downwards on the outer and inner surfaces and across tho biting surfaces, to dislodge food particles. The brushing of the bitn.g surfaces of the back teeth is specially imnortant Use plain water, or, much better. the fruit-acid tooth-wash, obtainable from chemists, which has the sa ™® as ax-id fruit in stimulating a cleansing sow of saliva. Children like it and look forward to having their teeth brushed W The cleansing of the teeth after the last meal of the day or before goinfc to bed is most important. It is specially during sleep that food particles ferment in the mouth and cause decay. IV—DECAYED TEETH SHOULD BE TREATED. 1 Watch for signs of decay, and, if possible, have the teeth inspected by a dentist once or twice a year. It costs nothing and may prevent much ill-health. 2 The first permanent molars come through about the sixth year, immediately behind the temporary teeth. They do not replace any of the temporary teeth, and therefore are generally mistaken for temporary teeth. These are pemanent teeth, and are the largest and most important in the mouth, and should on no account be allowed to decay. Their extraction greatly alters the shape of the face end ‘Have the first teeth treated if decay occurs. This is very necessary, as decay of the first teeth interferes with the development of the permanent set. and of the body, at a moat critical period of the child’s lire. , , . 4 Ha*e a decaying tooth treated at o nee. Delay is disastrous, as cue bad tooth, infects the mouth and causes decay of others. If the decay is extensive the tooth may have to be extracted This is a calamity, because missipg teeth interfere with mastication, interfere with the growth of the jaw, and spoil the shape of the face. . ~ '. 5. Artificial teeth are a miserable substitute for sound natural teeth. Natural teeth can exert a biting pressure of 2501 b.; artificial teeth only 501 b. or less. REMEMBER— A child with bad teeth swallows poison with each mouthful of food. A dirty mouth and foul breath are most repulsive, as well as injurious to The'teoth should be brushed at the very least once a day, especially after the last meal. , , . ~ The fruit-acid tooth-wash is valuable preventive of decay. . If a tooth decays treat- it at once. Decay of the teeth is the ffreatysu cause of disease, and parents are urged to give this matter their most careful attention.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19210314.2.9

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 144, 14 March 1921, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,015

OUR BABIES Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 144, 14 March 1921, Page 3

OUR BABIES Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 144, 14 March 1921, Page 3

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