DECAY OF TEETH

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20734, 18 February 1939, Page 20 (Supplement)

DECAY OF TEETH

REMAINS A MYSTERY WHY CARE 18 NEEDED There must be something wrong with our mode of living, because tooth decay is so common, writes Dr. Irving Cutter in the Chicago Tribune. It is a strange anomaly that the hardest tissue in the body—the enamel—which covers and protects these structures will yield so readily to subtle but unknown forces. Every other part of the body may be functioning at par when—lo, and behold —one tooth after another will give way. Bad teeth are not only a source of discomfort—nuisances of the first water —but they may endanger health —even life. Because there are so many nooks and crannies about them where organisms may hide and produce pus, they present a constant menace. At any given moment—unless every tusk is clean and free from infection—the situation within the mouth may be as dangerous potentially as an attack of pneumonia or typhoid fever. Most children when they are a year old have six or eight teeth. 16 -when they are a year and a-half, and the full set of 20 at two and a-half. Between the fifth and seven milestones and seven year molars make their appearance. Thereafter the baby ones begin to drop out and are replaced by the permanent set. What Does Decay Mean? What do we mean by decay? Merely solution or disintegration of the bon} material, including the tissues of the pulp. But when one asks why, no positive answer is forthcoming. The chances are that there are many factors, some of which may be related to the endocrine glands, others to bacteria, still others to dietary elements such as vitamins. Assuming that the tooth is normal when it erupts,'it should not decay. But a perfectly clean molar may do so and sometimes the agents of destruction and erosion will attack one that looks perfect more quickly than one that is badly stained, possibly inhabiting a foul mouth. There was a time when hygienists taught that starches and sugars were primarily responsible, due to the fermentation of these substances with the production of organic acids. But there is far more to the subject than this. Persuaded by the slogan, “acid mouth," many persons will suck alkaline lozenges all day long, much to the consternation of the gas-trie Juice—and wdth no advantage to the teeth. No matter what is done, what precautions are adopted, caries may come just the same.

This does not mean that a clean oral cavity is not desirable—far from it. But the answer to our problem does not lie In this situation alone. One fact is fully established—namely, that vitamin D and a reasonable supply of phosphorus and calcium are necessary to the formation of stout ivories. Mu«t Be Maintained

Furthermore, these elements must be maintained—not excessively, however—throughout life. As is well known, the chewing apparatus starts developing long before birth, and this is the reason that the menu of the prospective mother must contain all of the bone building elements. Perhaps the fault occurs in early infancy if milk is not assimilated, if a sufficient quantity of phosphorus and calcium are not to be had, or if vitamin D—essential for their distribution and assimilation—4s absent.

We cannot look upon the first set as unimportant. If microbes are allowed to grow about them, if gums are allowed to become soft, to harbour pus pockets, if cavities are untreated, the same injury to health may occur as with an adult. Many a case of acute rheumatic fever and resulting heart disease has been traced to extensive bacterial colonies within these childhood molars. Furthermore, the position of the permanent followers and their condition and strength depend in large measure upon the care that is given their predecessors. We can add materially to our national health bank deposits by taking every child—as soon as the first set has erupted—to a skilled dentist. Two visits a year will safeguard growth. There Is just as much need for the practice of preventive dentistry as there is of preventive medicine.