BAD TEETH.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 401, 4 October 1911, Page 5

BAD TEETH.

Mr J. Seymour, dental surgeon to the Christchureh Battalion of Boy Scouts, has delivered an interesting address. After being introduced by Dr H. M'C. Inglis, Provincial Commissioner for North Canterbury, Mr Seymour advanced to the blackboard and proceeded to make a diagram, eliciting much amusement by the statement that he was good at "drawing a tooth." He then pointed out how the disease germ worked its way through the covering of the teeth to the inner nerve part. He compared this to a borer working through wood, and remarked that, like the borer, it could not be stopped. It was worse than a plague because it was universal. The only remedy (as in the case of the borer) was to cut away the decayed part and substitute new. The only way to guard against decay was the vigorous use of the toothbrush with plenty of elbow grease, not only a "lick and a promise.The other thing was to get the teeth atteded to before anything began to happen, not to wait until it was too late. If that were done the trouble could be remedied with a minimum of pain and inconvenience. Bad teeth meant indigestion, ar.d sick Scouts were useless. The teeth ought to be guarded and kept like pets, and if properly used they would be one's best friends; otherwise they would be a bad enemy.