loio Rural School Leaflet. 



dental floss. The latter will be found especially good for removing food 

 debris from between the teeth. In discussing this part of the article 

 with the childi-en, the teacher might take the opportunity to state 

 that it is not good manners to use a looth pick in the presence of another 

 person. 



The teeth can and should be thoroughly brushed twice daily with 

 a good antiseptic tooth powder or paste; in the morning and at night 

 just before retiring. The teeth should receive the most careful cleaning 

 before retiring since it is during the night that food particles and secre- 

 tions in the mouth have the greatest opportunity to ferment and harm 

 the teeth. 



The brush should be used in an intelligent manner so as to reach all 

 surfaces of the teeth. The ordinary backward and forward move- 

 ments along the sides of the teeth only bring the bristles of the brush 

 into contact with the most prominent places and frequently injure 

 the gums. 



The inner and outer surfaces of the teeth should be brushed with a 

 slightly rotary movement beginning at the gums and passing upwards 

 or downwards, as the case may be, towards the ends of the teeth. That 

 is, the upper teeth should be brushed downwards and the lower teeth 

 upwards. This will bring the bristles of the brush into the depressions 

 between the teeth, removing any food that may be lodged there. The 

 grinding surfaces should be brushed backward and forward and from 

 side to side so as to cleanse all the depressions. 



A few minutes each day is all the time required to keep the teeth 

 clean and the mouth in a sanitary condition, and a visit to the dentist 

 twice each year will keep the teeth in good repair. By getting the 

 habit of keeping the teeth scrupulously clean, you will largely prevent 

 decay, and by visiting your dentist semi-annually, you will avoid serious 

 and prolonged operations and assure yourself good, comfortable, and 

 serviceable teeth. 



Teeth are given us to chew with. By chcA^ing our food we prepare 

 it for digestion and the more thoroughly it is chewed the more easily 

 it will be digested. All food must be reduced to an impalpable mass 

 before it can be assimilated and become part of the tissues of our bodies. 

 If for any reason the teeth fail to do their part, the stomach must do 

 more than its share of work in the attempt to digest the unprepared 

 food thus thrust upon it. This will surely result in indigestion and 

 faulty nutrition, which will seriously interfere with our general efficiency, 

 whether it be in the school room or in our life work, whatever that 

 may be. The U. S. Government, recognizing this fact, will not admit 



