THE EFFECT OF SMOKING UPON THE TEETH.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1067, 20 September 1879, Page 2

THE EFFECT OF SMOKING UPON THE TEETH.

At a recent meeting of the Odontological Society of Great Britain, Mr. Hepburn (says tlie British Medical Journal) read a paper on this subject; and result of his investigations on the subject are contrary to what is, we believe, the popular notion. He considers that the direct action of nicotine upon the teeth is decidedly beneficial. The alkilinity of the smoke must necessarily neutralise any acid secretion which may be present in the oral cavity, and theantiseptic property of the nicotine tends to arrest putrefactive changes in carious cavities. 'ln addition, he is inclined to believe that the dark deposit on the teeth of some habitual smokers is largely composed of the carbon with which tobacco smoke is impregnated. It is this carbon which is deposited upon the back part of the xhroat and lining membrane of the bronchial tubes ; and with whatever disastrous effect it may act in these situations, he thinks we are justified, from what we know of its antiseptic properties, in concluding that its action upon the teeth must be beneficial. Moreover, this deposit takes place exactly in those positions where caries are most likely to arise, and on those portions of the teeth which escape the ordinary cleansing action of the brush. It is found interstitially in all minute depres-

sions, and filling the fissures on the coronal surfaces. It may be removed with scaling instruments from the surface of the enamel, but where it is deposited on dentine, this structure becomes impregnated and stained. Indeed, it is only where the enamel is faulty, and there is access to the dentine, that any true discoloration of the tooth takes place; but is is remarkable, he says, how the stain will penetrate through even minute cracks, provided the necessary attention to cleanliness be not exercised. The staining power of £obacco-oil may be seen when a deposit has taken place on the porous surface of tartar collected on the posterior surface of the inferior incisors. In this situation a shiny ebony appearance is occasionally produced. That tobacco is capable of allaying; to some extent, the pain of toothache is, he thinks, true ; its effect being due, not only to its narcotising power, but also to its direct action upon the exposed nerve ; and he is inclined to attribute the fact of the comparatively rare occurrence of toothache amongst sailors, in great measure, to their habit of: chewing. He has been struck, in th e case of one or two confirmed smokers wl 10 have come under his notice, by the a ,p----parent tendency which exists towards fjhe gradual production of complete necrosis of carious teeth, and the various stages of death of the pulp, and death of the periosteam taking place without pain or discomfort to the patient. This condition

may, of course, be brought about by a variety of influences ; but in these special cases he is inclined to think that the presence of nicotine in the mouth has acted powerfully. Tho experience of other speakers in the subsequent discussion appeared to corroborate that of Mr. Hepburn, except that Mr. Oakley Coles thought the frequent ehanges of temperature probably injurious, and iendim: to produce cracking of the enamel, and Mr. Arthur Underwood thought that smoking to the extent of injury to digestion tended to cause recession of the gums, and otherwise to injure the nutrition of the teeth.