EARLY DESTRUCTION OF THE TEETH. 119 



artificial of all animals ; and no doubt the imperfect 

 state of his teeth has arisen from that change in his 

 constitution which is a result of the departure from 

 nature's laws. Besides, his food, from the tenacious 

 character it acquires, and from the refined modes of 

 cookery that civilization and luxury have introduced, 

 is more liable to be retained in the pits and fissures 

 of the teeth. And therefore has it become neces- 

 sary that man should consult his judgment rather 

 than be guided by his feelings ; and by a timely 

 application to the dentist have that evil, which man 

 has brought upon himself, remedied. 



Whatever may have been said or written on this 

 subject in the way of theory, I cannot believe that 

 amongst practical dentists there can be two opinions 

 as to the exciting cause of the destruction of the 

 teeth. The nature and object of the operations 

 that we daily and successfully perform — the ten- 

 dency of the advice that from time to time we 

 seek to impress upon our patients' minds, — all this 

 seems to me to be a clear confession on the part of 

 the operator and adviser, that he believes chemical 

 action to be the exciting cause of caries of the 

 teeth. 



We begin with our patients at an early age, when 

 the permanent teeth are about to appear. Our first 

 consideration is to prevent them from getting into 

 a crowded position, and this not altogether for 

 appearance sake, but also that they may be more 

 easily kept clean. A crowded set of teeth are 



