CARE OF THE TEETH 125 



we eat, we cannot be sure of a good digestion unless we 

 take care of such of the digestive organs as are under 

 our control. Of these, the most important are the teeth. 

 Unless our food is adequately chewed, indigestion almost 

 surely follows. The influence of bad teeth upon the 

 general health has been shown to be so marked that 

 the importance of keeping them clean and of having 

 all cavities, even in the first teeth, attended to by a den- 

 tist, cannot be overestimated. Decayed teeth interfere 

 with proper chewing, and act as lodging places for 

 microbes, which not only make the breath foul but may 

 also infect the glands of the jaw and neck. To keep 

 the teeth clean, they must be brushed after each meal 

 with a good tooth powder or paste. The brushing should 

 be up and down and not across the teeth, as the latter 

 method wears the teeth unnecessarily and does not clean 

 between them. A strong silk thread should also be used 

 to remove any particles of food that may have lodged 

 between them. If the thread is moistened and covered 

 with tooth powder, it will keep the sides of the teeth 

 polished and tend to prevent the deposit of tartar. Any 

 discoloration or deposit should be removed by rubbing 

 the teeth with powdered pumice upon the end of a moist- 

 ened pointed stick. 



