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interferes with its being carried out. The upper classes are
on the whole able to ensure the preservation of the teeth
by frequent resort to the dentist. This, however, is much
too expensive for the working classes as a whole, and the
fact that there is another simpler, cheaper, and better way,
viz., regulation of the diet, has not yet received the attention
which it deserves. Dr. Sim Wallace has systematised,
in a recent work on the prevention of dental caries, the,
means of prevention suggested in the evidence given by:
Professor Cunningham, Sir Lauder Brunton, Mr. Dolamore,
and the Admiralty and War Office Conference. These means
are based on the relation between diet and decay of teeth,
and Dr. Wallace shows the practicability of adopting such a
diet as will prevent decay. He has proved, both theoretically
and by practical experience, that it is perfectly possible to
so arrange the diet as to prevent the teeth decaying. He
gives lists of articles of diet such as new white bread, cake,
milk puddings, jam, chocolate and sweets, which are found
to cause decay, and of others such as fish, meat, fresh vegetables,
stale bread with crust, toast, and baked bread, cheese.,
and fruits, which not only do not cause decay, but when,
eatien after other foods act as natural cleansers of the teeth,
and if therefore taken at the end of a meal leave the mouth
clean until the next meal.
In order to teach the public how by diet the teeth may be
preserved, by the Committee's direction, I drew up a short
leaflet on the subject for distribution, as .follows:—
"TEETH AND DIET.—How to avoid Toothache,
and get a good set of teeth.
Children will not get strong and regular teeth unless their,
jaws have plenty of exercise by eating hard, coarse food