CARE OF THE TEETH.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 300, 19 December 1922, Page 13

CARE OF THE TEETH.

ANCIENT AND MODERN.

"Teeth and the Care of Them" was the

•abject taken by Mr. L. Taylor, who delivered the address at the weekly meeting of the Auckland Rotary Club jerterday afternoon. Mr. Taylor stated that tbe practice •f dentistry could not be regarded altogether as a modern science. There were indications that it had been found necesHry in practically every nation in history that had reached an advanced stage of.civilisation. There were relics preserved of cold plate and bridge work that were made by the early Egyptians. He did not eay that their work compared fovourably with the work of the present day, but. it was sufficient to prove that tie fcrt of dentistry was known and »*de use of during that period. At the present time they found that every uncHlsed race which was living the natural life was practicaly free from dental disease, whereas every race that had reached a high state of civilisation, with « correspondingly high standard of livlng. from dental disease to a Bore, or less extent. The English|pe»king races had the worst teeth in the world at the present day. and in New Zealand and Australia dental disease was ""ore prevalent than anywhere. The psneral public djd not seem to realise serious handicap this was to the efficiency of the community, or they Jfould take steps to alter their mode of ■livaie.

Mr. Taj-lor dealt with the lessons ■"•*<* from the war in regard to teeth. **? M 'd that on the broad principles Jntborities a & ree d that the cause of all aental diseases was the artificial wav « which the people lived and -the food Which, they ate. They ' selected soft, P"Vr. highly-seasoned and over-cooked wxto, which did not afford the digestive organs the necessary work and exercise !"ey. were int*nd,>d to receive. Tlie **?n 8 had beautiful teeth before the »mjal of the Pakeha, because they " T «. principalis on hard foods, but what « to-day? Wherever they have been tlur a cou P^ e °f generations among ™l E w°peans and adopting their food gf eratomß their teeth were quite as Wective as the average Xew Zealander. r~- not this point to the one main JMJe for the scourge of dental disease—,o «a and our modes oi life?