GOOD TEETH

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22335, 24 February 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)

GOOD TEETH

Essential For Health Good teeth undoubtedly add a great deal to one’s appearance. A face Is often saved from plainness by white even teeth which make a smile a thing of attraction. They play a great part in maintaining the contours of the face as well. We all know how .the cheeks and lips tend to sink in after the removal of teeth with their supporting roots. And apart from the point of view of looks, the importance of healthy gums and teeth cannot be over emphasised. Besides the digestive troubles that arise from deficient or defective teeth, a variety of illnesses are caused by the absorption of poisons from teeth and gums which are diseased. ’ Briefly, the structure of a tooth consists of a crown which is the part we can see, and one or more roots or fangs joined to the crown by the neck. The roots are composed of dentine or ivory and there is also ivory on the crown beneath a layer of enamel. In the centre of each tooth is a hollow called the pulp cavity which goes down into the roots. The pulp, in the cavity consists of blood vessels and nerves. 'The enamel covering the crown is an intensely hard substance which forms a kind of cap over the tooth. Acids which may be produced from ferments due to retained food-particles in the mouth can pierce this enamel and set up decay. The gums consist of dense mucous membrane covering the margin of the jaws and rising up to surround the roots of the teeth. Gums may become inflamed in the neighbourhood of a septic tooth.