THE SUBJECT OF TEETH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2829, 3 June 1908, Page 88

THE SUBJECT OF TEETH.

ADDRESS BY DR PICKERILL. Before the meeting of the Society for thp Promotion of the Health of^ Women and Children, on May 29 Di Pickerill, of the University Dental School, made somo important remarks on "Teeth." Dr Pickerill said:— l presume the reason of my being asked to say a few words this atterncon is that I might say something about teeth as they are and as they might be. At the outset may I say how I welcome the work of such a society as this for the tremendous amount of good it may do in preventing the occurrence and spread of dental disease. The title of this society is a wide and comprehensive one, and I am sure the members have high ideals, The work, therefore, must not be limited nor the members' ideas as to what is conducive to health at all narrowed. I make this remark lest it should be thought from what I say that I am only interested in one particular region of human anatomy, and therefore biassed in its favour, and my arguments should loose weight. No one recognises more than I do how impossible is gcod health without good teeth, yet I am equally certain that good health is dependent upon more than good teeth. A healthy life, and especially the life of a child, and therefore the work of this society, may be summarised as a struggle against several very big D's. There are Damp, Dark, Dirt, Dust, Drink, Deleterious Diet, and Destitution. The evils attaching to most of these are self-evident to everyone. It is chiefly the matter of diet which requires attention and rectification. And I in this connection I wish to say something as to the effect of deleterious diet in dental disease. The benefit of good, sound teeth is a thing recognised and desired by everyone, I suppose; but, like the desire for a celestial hereafter, is apt to be treated in a very abstract manner. There is a very old saying that — Gad and the Dentist we alike adore, j "When we've the toothache badily — not befar*-: The pain relieved, boih are alike requited ; God is forgotten; and the Dentist slighted. It is too_ often only the presence of actual pain which ever makes some people remember that they arc, or should be the pos- J sessors of 32 teeth. At the opening of the Dental School I said that the condition of the t&eth of the children was appalling. Some people have thought that remark too strong. On mature consideration I think it was not strong enough. It ie a curious fact that at about the same time a London surgeon who " had recently taken to examine the teeth of all his patients" used exactly the same expression. What that , particular surgeon would say if ho could examine the mouths of the children here I am unable even to attempt to guess — he would be at a loss for-3t word sumcientlv superlative of appalling. When I tell you that I constantly see children hetween the, ages of 11 and 15 , (when only permanent teeth should be present), with all their teeth absolutely rotted away — untreatable, unsaveable — no particle of use for biting or masticating, and, worse than all, poisoning their systems and ruining their digestions by swallowing the toxins produced in the carious cavities and suppurating gums, you will agree with me there is grave cau§e for alarm. For how can such children develop into healthy men and women when at the very threshold of their lives they undergo a process of semi-starva-tion and chronic poisoning, to say nothing of the actual loss of time from school, occupation, or the pain and suffering involved? That children should be so afflicted with a preventable disease as to be handicapped for the rest of their mortal lives is nothing but a slur upon our boasted civilisation and a national disgrace. Is there any remedy for this state of affairs? Certainly, there are two methods. The # first is that of municipal or State-aided dentistry, but this is an expensive luxury. It is estimated that it would cost a million and aquarter sterling to set the teeth of the present school children right at Home, although it has been carried out in Germany with oonsiderble success in several towns. But this method suits the German mind, which is accustomed to be relieved of its parental responsibility by the State. After all, though, this method is mere natchwork, and deals with the surface of things only, and does not get down to the bedrock — to the " fons et origo " — of all the trouble. It is to such associations as this that we must look for that. Here let me state a fact which is too often overlooked. It is that the majority of the temporary teeth are formed and a large number of the permanet teeth are being developed at bibth. Therefore their proper development depends to a, large extent upon the health and diet" of tho mother. If this should be faulty and incorrect the child will have -poorly developed, soft teeth, incapable of resisting the attacks of disease later in life. And the same principle applies to the feeding of children in early infancy with regard to the development of the permanent teeth. And not only the kind of feod matters, but the manner of giving it. Food given too hot causes chronic congestion of the delicate mucous membrane of the mouth and -wthdraws the proper blood supply from the underlying tooth germ. Food given through unsnatui^filly-flhaped appliances distort* the jaws aftd causes overcrowding and irregularity of the teeth, which in ite turn causes them to become decayed. In drawing attention to such matters this sooiety is doing, has done, and will continue to do, an immense amount of good in lessening the amount of dental disease amongst the children. But Is there any reason why the work of the society should, cease there? Why not look after the good seed which is sown, instead 1 of leaving it to chance whether it/ matures or not? Decay of the teeth is started by the aoid fermentation, through the action of micre-organisma, of soft, sticky, elarchy, sweet foods wihicn. adhere to the leeth, and especially to poorly-developed, rough, and irr^^ular teeth, It is therefore evident that from tlje very beginning, When the teetfi are being developed, untlj i the£ are lost through disease, dki is at the

J bottom of the trouble. While -this society is telling the mothers how to feed the babies it should logically go on to tell j them how to feed them — or, at anyrate, J how not to feed them-^-when they pass be- ; yond babyhood. In speaking of diet there are three things to be borne in mind— (l) Its chemical composition; (2) its physical nature; (3) the manner of taking it. Of these the first has received so much importance that there is grave danger of it 6 overshadowing the others or of their being- forgotten altogether. There is a popular oAze for food containing a maximum of nourishment in a minimum of space, for food so soft and well cooked as to give the teeth and jaws no world to do, so fluid or mixed with fluid as to obviate the use of any salivary glands, co easily digested, or predigested, as to give the digestive organs no need; for digesting it, so finely prepared as to give the intestines no work to do. Such a system is bound to, and does, end m disaster. If we persist in this system we shall presently be living on delicatelyflavoured fluids, with occasionally a tabloid (which may possibly contain as much : nourishment as six oxen). Neither man nor 1 any other animal that I am aware of is j constructed to live on th c exact amount of j food required for absorption; and neither j man nor any part of him can survive in a healthy condition without exercise. The doctrine of the sacredness of Jabour is but the universal' ] teaching of Nature. It ie impossible for me, this afternoon, to go into detail, as to the proper physical nature of food and the manner of taking it, suffice it to say both should be in as natural a form and manner as possible. I do not mean to say that we should eat raw meat, or unground corn/ but neither should we insist on having them so prepared, and so tender, and so delicately cooked that there is no work for the teeth, jaws, and other organs to do. Nature has provided an j excellent antiseptic mouth wash in saliva, I and toothbrushes in the tongue, lips, and j cheeks, aided by what should be the fibrous i nature of the food ; but these arc in danger lof losing— if they have not already lost — their function. Tooth brushes, I pastes, powders, and washes are to be regarded rather as aids to Nature rather than replacements. The burden of my remarks is that we should imitate Naiture-' as closely as possible all through. Natural methods of feeding babies are absolutely the best from a dental point of view. If our women would remember the^old adage, "The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world," they would wield a far greater power for good | than by striving for political importance or social eminence. Nature demands that her dictates should be fulfilled, and, if not, payment is inevitable, and Nature and the American have at anyrate one thing in common, they give " nothing for nothing, and mighty little for a dollar." Good teeth are literally worth their weight "n gold, for, unless measures such, as I have broadly indicated are taken to preserve •tliem, tliey -will cost their owners — be they rich or poor — more than their weight in gold whether they be treated or lost. Finally, I would suggest that all those connected with the practical work of the society, and particularly tho Lady Plunket nurses, should receive some instruction in oral hygiene and dietetics, in addition to training' in infant dietary and nursing, that they may go as missionaries throughout the land and spread the gospel of good teeth in the homes of the people, that the children whom they help to nurse may grow up not into physical degenerates, but into men and women, fit citizens of the Empire. / Dr PickerilPs remarks were listened to with great attention, and he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for addressing the society.

It is stated that there are no rabbits on •' the Chatham Islands. Two skeletons of rabbits have been found, but it is thought that they are the remains of pets." Pigft and cattle, apparently, are- the only wild animals on the islands. The pigs eat the young lambs, and the cattle destroy some of the vegetation.