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has been found of more value to stress the need for oral hygiene
than to expound the dietetic cause of dental caries. Indeed, the
latter appears absurd to people who have difficulty to feed their
families and themselves. To obtain access to the child is the
obstacle to be overcome. The toddlers' centres contain but a
small number compared to the whole needing attention. Propaganda
enlightens the parent, but it needs direct access to the
child to point out to the parent its oral condition, and can only
be done satisfactorily by visits to the home.
Personal hygiene is relaxed to a great extent by the mother
with the needs of a family to attend to: "I used to clean my
teeth, but now I don't get the time," is the recurring explanation
for the bad dental condition of the average mother; and as time
passes the need for the use of the tooth brush is not considered
worth while. Pyorrhoea supervenes in early middle life with
its sequelae of intestinal stasis, chronic toxaemia, and rheumatoid
arthritis to the great personal and economic distress of patients
of both sexes. While, nowadays, few can plead ignorance of
the necessity for oral hygiene, the dental conditions one meets
with demands the constant reiteration of the slogan " Clean your
teeth."
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
GRANTLEY SMITH,
Municipal Dental Surgeon.