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198 Concluding Observations, —

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.

We believe thai any person of candor, after having perused
the facts presented in this work, will admit that " the loss of
the teeth is not a necessary consequence of age," or a neces-
sary result of disease, but that the diseases of the teeth are
curable, (how inconsistent to suppose that any disease not
malignant, non-curable;) that they may, in a great measure
be prevented, and hence, that " the teeth of most persons,
may be preserved to the end of life."
That the teeth are very liable to disease in America, is pro-
verbial, both at home and abroad ; and it is lamentably true,
that many lose more or less of them before the age of twenty
years, and that few comparatively pass the age of forty, with
perfectly sound teeth. Without the possession of oracles or a
prophetic eye, we fear that we may safely claim the prescience
to foretel, that the teeth of our countrymen will continue bad
to the end of time —that tiidi tc^ih will be tousled forever
that good teeth will be envied and wished for—that thousands
of pretty faces will be spoiled for the want of good teeth, and
that diseased teeth will continue to be the cause of an infinity
of suffering. And why ? because people will not be convinced
of the importance and necessity of early and constant at-
tention to the teeth, for the preventive and curative treatment
of the diseases to which they are subject; or, if they will be,
there are so many circumstances to prevent the above treat-
ment from being put into execution.
And first, the solicitude of the parent, for the safety of the
child, will often prevent the performance of those little and
trifling operations sometimes necessary, to ensure the regular-
ity and symmetry of the coming permanent teeth, or for the
preventive treatment of decay. What a pity ! yet so it is.
We have too often witnessed this result; if a child makes
a great ado, it is no reason why that which is necessary