Page 156 - My FlipBook

130 the micro-organisms of the human mouth.
Chemical Theory of Dental Decay. •

Up to very recent times no theory of dental decay has enjoyed
the approbation of so large a number of distinguished odontolo-
gists as the chemical.
Paul of ^^gina"^ (636) advises, " in order to preserve the
teeth, to take precautions against the spoiling of food in the
stomach (indigestion), since the frequent vomiting resulting from
it is very injurious to the teeth."
According to Carabelli, the first experiments on the action of
acids on the teeth were made by Berdmore (1771), who tested
the action of nitric and sulphuric acids. Pasch (1767), Biicking
(1782), Becker (1808), and Riugelmann (1824) attribute injurious
effects to sour food and acids. Linderer*'' (1837) characterizes
caries as a purely chemical process. Robertson^ combated the
inflammation theory. According to him, caries is a chemical
decomposition of the dental tissues by means of acids ; the
latter are formed in the mouth by the dissolution of food-par-
ticles. Rognard^^ follows Robertson, and particularly mentions
sulphuric and nitric acids as products of the decomposition of
vegetable and animal substances. These acids are the cause of
the decay of the teeth.
Magitot^*^ writes, " Les conskUrations qui iw^cklent tendent d etahlir
que la cariedeniaire residte d'une alteration inircment chimique^exercee
sur Vemad et Vkoire des dents," etc. WedP^ also defends the chem-
ical theory ; he regards the action of an acid as the chief cause of
caries in all cases where even the slightest traces of decalcification
are discernible.* The acid secretion of the gums, especially in
the cases of children and of women during pregnancy, and the
acidity of the saliva accompanying disorders of the digestion, de-
serve special mention. Leptothrix bears no direct relation to the
origin of caries.
Tomes ^^ (1873) concludes " that caries is the effect of external
causes in which so-called ' vital' forces play no f)art ; that it is
due to the solvent action of acids which have been generated by
fermentation going on in the mouth, the buccal mucus probably

*In my opinion, decay without decalcification, which Wedl here seems to
assume, does not occur.