Page 174 - My FlipBook

154 Tartar of the Teeth.
POLISHING THE TEETH.
The grand secret of preventing external decay, as it so fre-
quently attacks the teeth on their sides near the gums, (not on
the contiguous surfaces,) consists in keeping the teeth highly
polished. The importance of this fact to the lovers of sound teeth
is manifested by these circumstances. The teeth never decay
on the inside, (we should rather say very seldom, for we have
seen a few rare instances,) while they often decay on the out
side. Why is this ? are the teeth any better protected at this
point ? is the enamel thicker? No ; the reason is that the motion
of the tongue keeps the sides of the teeth with which it comes
in contact clean, and of their natural high polish it prevents
;
that stagnation of acid fluids, and collection of putrescent and
corrosive matter which act on the teeth on the outside. Again,
the teeth of those persons who keep them perfectly clean and
highly polished, as rarely decay on the outside as on the
inside, while the teeth of those who neglect them are very apt
to decay on the out side. Can there be stronger facts to
prove the importance of keeping the teeth highly polished ?
After the teeth have been scaled, they should always be
nicely polished ; also when the teeth are at all rough. Few
persons, very few indeed, keep their teeth so free of foreign
matter, and so highly polished as they ought, if they would
prevent decay and consult their welfare, for in proportion to
the height of this polish, their aptitude to become rough, dis-

perfect health, except in some particular cases, or where neglect of the
patient to follow my directions, has made it unavoidable. I have always
considered it my duty to keep my patients supplied with the necessary
means for keeping their teeth clean.
" The practice so frequently adopted in this and other countries, of
having the teeth regularly cleaned by a dentist, and irritated by incom-
petent operations every six or twelve months, although profitable to him
is about a3 ridiculous and mischievous as the exploded one of taking a
strong dose of medicine once a month, for the purpose of preserving the
digestive organs in a healthy state ; a practice so common a long time
ago, that its general adoption gave rise to the common salutation, ' Avez
vous bien purge."— Koecker, page 182.