Digestion and Health 411 



Mouth Hygiene. The first part of the alimentary canal, the 

 mouth, should always be kept in a clean and healthy condition. 

 Otherwise germs of disease find there a fertile place for growth 

 and reproduction. Mouth hygiene centers largely around the 

 teeth. Tooth decay is a source of much discomfort and should 

 be prevented. 



This can be done by proper care of the teeth. Particles of 

 food should never be left between the teeth, since they provide 

 a breeding place for bacteria. These bacteria secrete an acid 

 which dissolves the enamel, or hard outer covering, of a tooth 

 and then attacks the dentine, or softer part beneath, causing rapid 

 decay. The decay, making a cavity, soon reaches the nerves of 

 the tooth and causes toothache. 



Tooth decay is also one of the most common causes of indiges- 

 tion. This will be apparent to any person who recognizes the 

 close relation between digestion and the production of energy 

 necessary to carry on life processes and to perform one's daily 

 work. Poor teeth mean that food is not well prepared for diges- 

 tion in the stomach and intestines. Therefore it is not fully 

 absorbed into the blood and of course fails to do its part in the 

 production of energy. 



A disease called pyorrkea, or Rigg's disease, also affects the 

 teeth, causing them to loosen and finally to come out of their 

 sockets. Pyorrhea is supposed to be the result of an infection 

 of the gums. It begins near the edges of the gums where the 

 membrane has been slightly broken, gradually extending to the 

 parts that attach the root of the tooth to its socket, destroying 

 them and loosening the tooth. This disease is said to cause greater 

 loss of teeth than decay. 



Many bad results follow neglect to care for the teeth. Not 

 only toothache and indigestion but also neuralgia, a very painful 

 disease of the nerves of the face, often occur when no effort is 

 made to check decay. Moreover, recent investigations have shown 

 that the bacteria, or germs, that cause decay may generate poisons 

 that affect the whole system unfavorably. It is said that the germs, 

 after getting into the tissues around the teeth, work their way 

 into the circulation and are carried by the blood to the various 



