124 THE GLANDS REGULATING PERSONALITY 



The degree and regularity of development of the middle upper 

 cutting, biting teeth, as distinguished from the grinding molars, 

 the middle and lateral incisors, and the canines offer further 

 guides to the endocrine constitution analysis. The size of the 

 central incisors seems to be directly proportional to the degree 

 of pituitary predominance. On the other hand, the size and 

 regularity of the lateral incisors seem proportional to the 

 influence of the interstitial cells. When these are inferior in the 

 make-up of an individual, the lateral incisors are nearly always 

 distorted. The size of the canines appears to be a measure of 

 adrenal activity. Long sharply pointed canines mean well- 

 functioning adrenal gland equipment to start in with, inherited 

 from a bellicose progenitor. 



No individual peculiarities of the teeth are accidental. Just 

 as the absence of hair on the face in a man or a moustache effect 

 in a woman stand for some definite stress or strain in the 

 mechanics of interaction of the internal secretions, so likewise 

 do variations in dentition, as to the time of eruption of the 

 teeth, their position and quality, and their resistance to decay. 



Proper balance between the thymus and pituitary will permit 

 the eruption of the teeth within the normal time limits, both the 

 milk teeth and the permanent teeth. When there is equilibrium 

 between the pituitary and the gonads, the teeth will be regular 

 in shape and position. Carious teeth, in children and adults, some- 

 times indicate endocrine imbalance. Thyroid and adrenal bal- 

 ance determines the resistance to decay of the molars. Early 

 decay of the molars in children is significant of insufficiency of 

 the thyroid. When the first permanent molar, which should 

 appear in the upper arch in its usual position between the sixth 

 or eighth years, does not, there has been a prenatal disturbance 

 of the pituitary, according to Chayes and others. Rapid decay 

 of the teeth in childhood should always call attention to the 

 parathyroids. 



In pregnancy, the teeth suffer particularly because of dis- 

 turbances of the endocrines. The saying, "A tooth for every 

 child," is said to have its equivalent in every language. The 

 bicuspids and second permanent molars erupt around puberty, 

 when profound readjustments are going on among the glands of 

 internal secretion. They consequently suffer with their abnormali- 

 ties or divergences from type. The teeth thus furnish a good 

 deal of information concerning the distribution of the balance of 

 power among the hormones. 



