THE FAMILY DOCTOR.

Observer, Volume 9, Issue 521, 15 December 1888, Page 14

THE FAMILY DOCTOR.

THE BEST WAY TO C3,EAN THE TEETH. ' There is not one of my patients out of ten,'" said a well- known dentist, ' who does not enquire anxiously as to what is the best method o£ cleaning and preserving the teeih. I tell them • all the same thing; and that is "to use nothing but water. More good teeth aie ruined by socalled dentifrices than by all other causes -put together ; and the reason is that these, prepara-. tions contain strong alkalis, so that, with very little rubbing, the teeth look clean aud white. But the enamel comes off, and very soon the teeth are utterly destroyed. There are many dentifrices,! however, which are not so bad ; and many respectable druggists have preparations which arenot. so harmful. But they do not produce the same rapid effect as that, of which I spoke first.Consequently, many ignorant people do not consider them as good. But after all, a moderately hard brush, plenty of cold water, and nothing, else, will keep the teeth in excellent condition. Sweetmeats are bad for the teeth. So are smok- v ing and the taking of very hot or very cold drinks.But; the worst thing of all is the 'so called dentifrice.' COW) IN THIS HF.AD. One teaspoonful of mustard dissolved in a tumblerful of cold water and used as a gargle three- ' time 3 a day, will often effect a speedy cure. In more obstinate cases, equal parts of loaf sugar and pulverized alum, used as snuff, will give instant relief.