HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 May 1942, Page 4

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

JAW MALFORMATION. RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS. (By the Health Department.) Parents’ neglect of their infants’ jaws is responsible for untold misery and sufferings. It is surprising how many fond mothers and fathers —excellent parents in every other respect — just don’t bother about their children’s mouths, and it is just as surprising how many people believe i that the milk, or deciduous teeth, do not count. These two errors of omission are inexcusable. To them can be traced irregular teeth, jaw malformations, and even crooked features. Out of the normal jawbone there spring 52 teeth in the early years of the owner’s life, and the process actually begins about eight months before he is born. In the jaws are 20 baby teeth, and also 32 permanent teeth, the calcification of which begin at birth. The roots of the baby teeth are completely resorbed by the time the permanent teeth are ready to erupt, and. only the crowns of those first teeth remain. If anything interferes with the resorption of the baby teeth, the permanent teeth may erupt behind or in front of the baby teeth. The result is crooked permanent teeth. Any habit which interferes with the normal action of the tongue, lips or cheek muscles—which guide the teeth into their proper position—will lead to mis-shapen jaws and badly-placed teeth. Among these habits can be listed: Thumb, finger and dummy sucking, sleeping on the face, pillowing the face on the arm( a common fault), and resting the chin on. the hand for long periods. Mouth-breathing, lip bitting or sucking, and tongue and cheek bitilig arc all habits that cause malocclusion, or irregular teeth. Correction of these habits should be attempted, if possible, by the removal of the physical or emotional underlying causes, without calling the child’s attention to them. This is a job for the parents.