TEETH 151 



No crack is too small for microbes to find and enter. 

 If you cut your finger the flesh will mend itself, but the 

 enamel of the tooth can never grow together again after 

 we have cracked it. That is why we should not crush 

 nuts or any other hard thing with our teeth; we can- 

 not afford to crack the enamel that protects them and 

 saves them from microbes. 



Even when there are no cracks, if bits of food stay in 

 one spot long enough the microbes will not only make a 

 hole for themselves just there, but after that hole is once 

 made, they will go in without asking your permission 

 and do the greatest mischief. 



We can save ourselves from these teeth microbes in 

 only one way, and that is by keeping the teeth as clean 

 as possible. Of course we cannot thread them on a 

 string and put them in the attic to keep dry, but we can 

 do several other things that are more sensible. 



1. Get a toothbrush that is just stiff 

 enough not to hurt your gums. The bristles 

 should not be too near together, because 

 you want them to go between your teeth. 



2. Have some tooth powder. 



3. Use toothbrush, powder, and water every 

 morning; scrub every part of your teeth 

 thoroughly; you will have to screw your 

 brush around pretty well to do it, yet only 

 in this way will you dislodge the microbe. 



