THE TEETH.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1928, Page 7

THE TEETH.

CLEAN MOUTH ESSENTIAL.

i IF YOU AY ANT TO BE WELL

Warm commendation of the good work done by the school dental clinics in looking after the care of the children’s mouths was given by Dr. J. Hardie Neil during his lecture in the University College Hall. Tn this work New Zealand leads the way, and its value was emphasised hv Dr. Neil, who showed what a source of prolific infection ;he mouth could become if it were neglected. Ho was lecturing under the auspices of the Auckland Institute and the Auckland branch of the British Medical Association on “Infection and Defence in the Respiratory Tract.” With the aid of some very good lantern slides, he explained the breathing apparatus. He pointed out that the chief local defence against disease was the film of mucus, which was a bettor guard against infection than any cliemoal antiseptic known. The lecturer laid great stress on the importance of keeping the month free from sepsis. The month could become i virulent source of trouble, and the tonsils were stated to he the principal Possible scat of danger. Attention was drawn to the absolute necessity for keeping the mouth free from sepsis in order to guard against cancer of the mouth, throat, and degistive tract. Diphtheria, scarlet fever and acute

rheumatism were associated with a septic tonsil. Generally speaking, too much attention could not he paid to seeing that the mouth was perfectly free from sepsis. Once it became the seat of a sepsis focus it might lead to endless danger.