PREVENTION OF BAD TEETH.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2113, 23 January 1886, Page 4

PREVENTION OF BAD TEETH.

The troubles which arise from disease of the teeth, or from their loss, are not always directly referable to their cause. When actual toothache is present there is of course little doubt, and the remedy of extraction at once suggests itself. At the same time, it must be remembered that the forceps does not undo the work of disease or make amends for its ravages. A jaw which has lost the best part of its function with its teeth, or which bites unequally with the scattered survivors of its former armament, is but a deceitful guardian of the passage to the stomach ; while it seems to do duty in mastication it passes intact much that is unfit for the immediate action of the gastric juice. Were the relationship between bad teeth and dyspepsia, with its consequent discomforts, better understood, we should probably hear les* of the prevalence of dental caries. Greater attention would then be paid to the small organ* whose obscure influenco on the general health so fully justifies their preservation. Specific constitutional disease, drugs, and other speciiil factors no doubt account for a certain amount of dent«al decay. Neglect, however, accouuts for much more. Want of care in choosing food, and particularly in cleansing the teeth, has nearly everything to do with the dental worries of a great many people. A point well worthy of note in this connection is that most of the permanent set of teeth come into acti\e operation during childhood or early youth. It is hardly to be expected that children, if let alone, will pay much attention to the state of their mouths unless driven to notice an aching stump. Thus it happens that most children have lost one or several teeth before they aie well into their teens. Here, then, there is need for parental supervision. Mr \V. M. Fisher, of Dundee, has been led by certain observations, which proved the defective condition of the teeth in a majority of school children, to suggest that some regular system of supervision by a dentist be adopted as a part of school management. The expenses he would have defrayed by the parents, or, should they be too poor, by the State out of the education grant. This plan has actually been adopted in the parochial school at Aneriey, in Surrey. We have long been of opinion that it would be most desirable if the health of children in all schools could by some plan be periodically passed under review by a medical inspector. The possible obstacle to such an arrangement would be the expense. Tiiis may not prove insuperable, and if it do not, we may hope that this method, and also some plan of dental supervision, may find their place among the recognised forms of school discipline. — Lancet.

1 Why are some little children like cherubin ? Because " they continually do cry." The moot amusing law suit yet recorded, and one which affords a rich snggestion, is mentioned in a Russian paper. A wealthy lady at her death placed her pet dog Gypsy in the hands of a friend, with the request to provide for her with the annual interest on 1000 roubles, set aside for that purpose in her tcstment. The other day Gyp9y died, and the lady who had charge of her took it for granted that the money was now her own. Another lady, however, appeared on the scene, who owned a son of Gypsy, and who claimed that her dog was heir to the income of 1000 roubles, since nothing was said in the testament regarding the disposal of this money after the death of Gypsy. In some places in Russia pet dogs have visiting cards, calling lists, and reception days.

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