OUR BABIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12284, 5 April 1918, Page 7

OUR BABIES.

(By HYGEIA.) Published under tho auspices of the rl G ' v ’ Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children. “ It is wiser to put up a fence at tho top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at tho bottom.” GOOD TEETH. (Concluded.) . T, ! is ' ve °h we shall conclude our cs. urf S i m lll Httlo American book Good Teeth: How They Grow and How to Keep Them.” WHAT A DENTRTFRJCE CAN AND CANNOT DO. The purpose of a tooth paste or tooth powder is to help tho tooth-brush to cleanse the t-oeth and mouth. A dentnince is not a germicide, and therein® it cannot sterilise the month by killing disease germs. There hro two leasons why this cannot ho- done: (1) Because the liquids of the mouth are constantly changing, and the deutitnco does not remain in the mouth long enough. (2) Because an antiseptic strong enough to kill disease germs would injure the delicate membrane of the mouth. Properly prepared tooth powders and pastes contain chalk, which is a good scourer. Only the finest precipitated chalk is suited for this purpose, as inferior grades contain sharp crystals which scratch the enamel. For tho same reason pumice is also too harsh a scourer, and dentifrices containing it should ve avoided. • DENTAL FLOSS. Don’t use metal or wooden toothpicks. The best way to remove food from between the teeth is by the use'' of waxed floss silk, which cleans the places where the toothbrush cannot reach. If the floss instantly breaks when pulled between the same teeth it means either that a new cavity has formed or that a filling needs polishing. The daily use of silk is very important. It is the only thorough way of denning between the teeth, where cleaning is most needed. Memo, by “Hygeia.”—When using dental floss, or other means of “ silking,” great care must be taken nob to cut or injure the gums. WHOLESOME FOOD SAVES THE TEETH. Like all the organs of the body, the teeth need exercise; hence hard crusts, stale whole-wheat bread, and other coarse and fibrous food which require thorough chewing before they can be swallowed, are especially .good, not only for children, but for adults. They keep the teeth well exercised, cause a good supply of blood, develop the muscles, and expand the jaws so that room is provided for the larger teeth. The following rules will be found useful in regulating the child’s food:— (1) Food at regular hours only; non thing between meals. (2) Plenty of time should he taken. On no account should a child holt hja food. (3) The child must be taught to chew his food. (4) Children should not be continually urged to eat if they are disinclined to do so at their regular hours of feeding, or if the appetite is habitually poor. Under no circumstances should a child he forced to eat. (5) Indigestible food should never be given to tempt the appetite when ordinary simple food is refused ; and food should not he allowed between meals because it is refused at meal time. (6) One serious objection to allowing young children highly seasoned food, such as jellies, pastry, sweets, etc., is that children soon lose appetite for the simple food, which previously was taken with relish. (7) If there is any important article of diet, such as milk, meat, cereals, or vegetables, which a child habitually refuses, this should always he given first at the meal and other food withheld until it is disposed of. Children so readily form habits of eating only certain things and rejecting others that such an inclination should be_ checked early. HOW TO USB YOUR DENTIST. The modern dentist would prefix, like the Chinese doctor, to be paid for keeping his patients well. No one needs to dread the dentist’s chair if he will, only make up his mind to visit the dentist regularly If your dentist sees you often enough he can fill the cavities while they are small, before tho tooth is badly injured. He can also clean your teeth thoroughly, remove tartar deposits, and advise you concerning the use of the toothbrush, dontrifice, dental floss, and other measures which keep your mouth in condition to resist tooth decay. 'This is far cheaper than to wait until decay has gone so far that, when an aching tooth finally forces you to go to the dentist, he is obliged to perform a long, difficult, and often painful operation, for which he must charge accordingly. Twice-a-year visits to the dentist are necessary. Many people wisely make a practice of going more often and having the dentist give their teeth a thorough cleaning. WHAT CAUSES TOOTH DECAY? We all know what happens when food is left exposed to the air for any length of time. Food caught between the teeth ferments. This _ fermentation is caused by micro-organisms which generate an acid. The acid secretion of these micro-organisms is a solvent for the lime salts which compose the bulk of the tooth structure. It will thus be seen that decay is directly due to the presence of fermenting food particles in the mouth. Remove these particles by means of the toothbrush, dental floss, and mouth wash, and you prevent decay. A considerable cavity may be formed in the tooth before its presence is made known -by a toothache. No pain is felt until decay has penetrated far enough to expose tho sensitive pulp.

Diseases which occur in ‘ childhood, such ns measles, whooping cough, chicken pox, and scarlet fever, make the teeth more liable to decay. This is because during sickness the teeth are not receiving pioper care. Sometimes the first permanent molars come through with defective enamel. When this happens it is especially important that they he kept dean until they have ernutod sufficiently to he treated by the dentist.