COHEN] DEXTAL HYGIEXE 117 



THE AWAKENING. 



When the efficiency of the individual, for economic reasons, 

 became the concern of the State, the problem of diseased teeth 

 became '•painfully apparent." In 1885, Dr. Jensen of Strass- 

 burg, Germany, instituted a free dental dispensary for the care 

 of the school children. Today 78 German cities have such clin- 

 ics, and the original institution of Dr. Jensen is much enlarged. 

 Every child is subjected to a dental examination on entering 

 school and twice a year thereafter until the age of 13 years. The 

 work was also taken up in other German cities even on a larger 

 scale. About the same time the work was taken up in England 

 and today there are in London 17 school dentists and in 

 the English provinces 52. In Stockholm, Sweden, all children 

 are being examined for dental defects. Russia. France. Switzer- 

 land and many other countries have since taken up the work. 

 In America, Rochester was probably the first city to take up the 

 work of saving the children's teeth. It now has three dispensaries 

 in charge of paid dentists. Particularly good work is being done 

 in Cleveland, where a complete inspection of all school chil- 

 dren was made, three dispensaries established and an attempt 

 made to scientifically show the good results attainable through 

 early and proper care of the teeth. The results obtained were 

 beyond the most sanguine expectations. Xot only were the chil- 

 dren spared much pain and their working integrity preserved, 

 but the mental condition improved 99 per cent, as proven by 

 repeated psychological tests. In New York dental clinics at sev- 

 eral of the hospitals and dispensaries have been established under 

 the auspices of the Children's Aid Society. The work is also 

 making progress in Boston. Philadelphia, Washington. Baltimore. 

 Detroit, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Everywhere the importance 

 of the teeth to the health and happiness of the race is being 

 recognized and the work of preservation is gradually assuming 

 organized form, having in many instances the support of the 

 municipality. Official recognition was given the work of dental 

 prophylaxis when Congress unanimously passed a bill providing 

 for the appropriation of two dental inspectors for the District of 

 Columbia. 



THE WORK OF REGENERATION. 



The child should be the starting point of all the activities to 

 prevent dental decay. Beginning with infancy, artificial feeding 

 should not be resorted to unless absolutely unavoidable. Chil- 



