OUR BABIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 144, 17 June 1918, Page 2

OUR BABIES

ByHygei'a,

Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealaud Society t".<r the Health of Women and C'hiidreu

"Tfc is wiser to put up n. fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom."'

SCHOOL dental education

MR MI-LNER's ARTICLE.

(Concluded.}

THE DUTY" OF TEACHERS

Teachers should make their pupils thoroughly realise the necessity of oral hygiene, Dentai caries is entirely due to outside agents-. The month its an ideal hatching 'hambev for bacterial growth. Professor Miller has .separated out over 100 different forms of micro-organisms which flourish in the mouth, and- it ha? been estimated that of these we have on the average five millions each. Particles of starchy food caught in the interstices of the teetli undergo acid fermentation owing to the rapid development of the bacteria, which batten on them. The resultant acid of decay attacks and decalcifies the minute rods of -which the enamel ot the teeth is composed. As the hard lime salts meltaway before the acid, it penetrates into the dentine below, liquefying and dis'ohning it. and continuing its baneful work until the pulp cavity is reached and infected. It must be emphasised that when the pulp cavity is reached the most suitable time for stopping lias gone. Any schoolmaster may recognise this of septic'infection in children as evidenced by foetid breath, sallow complexion, and general debility. A hideous train of. disaster it* the direct result of infection of the pulp chamber. The pus which collects there, owing to the pressure of fermentation, must, find an outlet along the line of least resistance. Hence, after diffusion into the tooth socket, ib discharges through the ■ -m into the mouth as a, gum boil, f his septic infection then mixes 4 with the saliva and )V swallowed, and may cause. seve%". intestinal trouble, including appendicitis.

AN IMPORTANT PHASE. . ' 'Oije point of importance that !>■■■( be forgotten is that the first perma?)- • ent molars nj>pear at •six years of age ] before the temporary incisors disappear. I These first permanent teeth are frei quently mistaken for temporary teeth, | and are allowed to become hopeless! v de--5 caved before advice is sought. Then, £ again, the grcvth of permanent teeth [ is" often directed wrongly through the i retention of temporary teeth. If the first j 6et of teeth are kept from decay, nature t provides for the absorption of their 5 roots at the proper time , but if their j pulp cavities become infected their rool- ( are not absorbed and the teeth remain •to obstruct the growth of their perman- | ent successors. Again, as the permanent i canines are set very deep down in their j crypts in the jaw it is necessarv for the j temporary canines to be retained for ! their due time, otherwise the space fo>their successors i? not kept open. and the. bicuspids then force the permanent canines out obliquely through "the gums. Thi« lack of alignment often (causes a hideous tusk-like dicftgnrement. Education on these -points can do a lot to safeguard children's teeth.

RIGID CLEANLINESS IMPERA-

TIVE.

Above nil the necessity of rigid cleanliness must be insisted upon. There is no reason why primary school children should not be taught a tooth-brush drill. The children must grasp the necessity of having clean mouths. The teeth should be carefully cleaned after each meal ,and especially *jusfc before going to bed. If only one application of the brush a day can be secured, let that be the last thing of the day before retirement to bed." If such a germicide a-r. } Kolynos cannot be afforded, some precij pitated chalk will be found a cheap and 1 effective dentifrice. The eating of choj colate sweets, soft biscuits, or indeed j any. farinaceous foodl just before bed- '. time, unless followed by rigorous ap- . plication of the toothbrush, is fatal. On : the other hand, apples exercise a, wonI derfully cleansing effect. In the a.'tual j brushing care must be taken that I everv gnrface of the teeth receives at- | tention. Effective work can be done \ only if the brush is swept from the ! gums to the cutting edge_ of the teeth •so as to dislodge all particles of food j resting in the interstices. . A good addij tional preventive of decay is the use of i a strand of silk about eight or 10 inches j long for passing to and fro between i the teeth, say once a week. This re- } quires some digital dextei-ity for its manipulation, but will be found to re- ! pay the trouble handsomely. Any teach- : er'who makes it his duty to insist on the dental cleanliness of his pupils will j confer on the young generation lasting physical advantages, sweeten the atmosphere of his classroom, reduce nervous irritability, and by his example help towards the establishment of 7)roper <'entarinspection and the institution of j j -r»ppr dental clinics for our schools. !