The Canada lancet and practitioner . ecay more rapidly, so much so that many people think theirteeth are so soft that it is useless to try to save them fromdestruction. It is not the hardness or softness of teethwhich governs their decay, but their environment. The saliva variesgreatly in different mouths, and it is this variation, more than any-thing else, which has to do with the apparent resistance of someteeth to decay, rather than any cpiality of the teeth themselves. In mouths where the saliva is very tenacious and stringy, decayusually goes on very rapidly, because the teeth become coat
The Canada lancet and practitioner . ecay more rapidly, so much so that many people think theirteeth are so soft that it is useless to try to save them fromdestruction. It is not the hardness or softness of teethwhich governs their decay, but their environment. The saliva variesgreatly in different mouths, and it is this variation, more than any-thing else, which has to do with the apparent resistance of someteeth to decay, rather than any cpiality of the teeth themselves. In mouths where the saliva is very tenacious and stringy, decayusually goes on very rapidly, because the teeth become coated overwith a viscid film, making a suitable abode for the germs which 54 DOMINION MEDICAL MONTHLY cause decay. Good vigorous use of the tooth hrush several times aday, accompanied by thorougrh mastieation of the food, will in timechange this condition of the saliva to that of a clear, healthy con-sistency. This ropy saliva is very often the aecompaninient of anervous dis]i()>ition, and the teeth are usually very sensitive. AVhen. 1 Is for childen and those wearinsr orthodontia aj pliancej and bridges. 2 Is the best sized for all purposes. 3 Is the three rowed brush, the largest sized brush that should ever be la for brushing the lingual surfaces of the lower teeth. the .saliva is gotten into a healthy state, the extreme ofthe teeth will disappear. When a person is in a delicate state ofhealth, too, the saliva is not normal, and decay of the teeth goes onmore rapidly. There are very many conditions which change thecharacter of the secretions. To prevent the teeth from decaying, DOMINION MEDICAL MONTHLY 55 one must keep up the tone of the general health, in addition to theproper use of the tooth brush; the poorer the health, the more care-fuly should the mouth and teeth be cleansed. ^lastication plays an important part in the preservation of theteeth. Any race of people who live upon a class of food that re-quires a great deal of mastication before it ca
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectmedicine, bookyear189
