HEALTH OF CHILDREN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2193, 23 October 1920, Page 1

HEALTH OF CHILDREN.

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE

TEETH,

Published under the authority of the Education Department.)

It Is the object of this article to

corm-l some erroneous opinions prevalent amongst parents -concerning children’s leelh. It is commonly assumed that the first, set of teeth are of little importance, as they are replaced later by the second set,, and also that it is necessary for them to decay in order to make room for the permanent set. On the contrary, the first set are relatively more important. They are in use during a perioid of life when growlh is active and the constitution is being built up, when healthy nutrition and adequate mastication in a clean mouth are, so essential. It is more important to have, a complete sound set of leelh during this period than al any other in the life of the individual.

Nature’s method is that each tooth of the lirst set gradually loses its roots, which are absorbed by the pressure of the permanent tooth coming up beneath it. Ibe first tooth being left without a root, becomes loose and painlessly shells off the gum. When these teeth decay early their roots, not being absorbed in this way, extraction may be necessary. It is unnatural for the first teeth to decay. That they do so is in a large measure due to the errors of diet which have been set forth id previous articles of this series. When they do decay they should receive careful a 1 tent ion from a deni ist.

A third error- —and one of serious consequence —is that the tour large grinder or molar tcelh which conn! through at about ti years of age tire temporary teeth, and belong to Iho first set. They are in consequence frequently neglected and allowed to decay, in the belief that lho;t will soon he replaced by others. The first set of teeth, 10 in each jaw, have all come through by tillage of two years, or a little later. These huge grinders of which we speak appear one at each side behind the first set in each jaw. They do not displace any of the teeth of the first set. They come through about the same time as I lie front teeth of the first set are coming out. They lake the brunl of (he work of mastication, and act as buttresses or outposts in the developing jaw while the ieel.lt ol the. first set are being sbeil and replaced by tbeit successors. The importance of taking cvevv precaution to preserve these (ilh year permanent grinders cannot he over-estimated.