It is well to brush them after each meal, because the sooner 

 deposits of food are removed, the better. Once a day a good 

 tooth powder may be used to aid in cleaning the teeth. For 

 soldiers in the field, where no tooth powder is available, wood 

 ashes or wood charcoal has been recommended. 



The toothbrush should not be too large, and the bristles 

 should be of medium hardness and so shaped that they will 

 get between the teeth. Both sides and the top of the teeth 

 should be thoroughly brushed. It is much better to brush 

 down or up from the gums to the cutting edge than side- 

 ways across the teeth, because when the brush passes side- 

 ways the bristles do not get in between the teeth. The most 

 effective method is to place the bristles of the brush firmly 

 against the teeth, apply pressure as if trying to force the 

 bristles between the teeth, and then give the brush a rotary 

 or scrubbing motion. Care should be taken to go over 

 both the back and the front of the cutting teeth in both 

 jaws, as well as the flat crowns of the grinding teeth. The 

 gums above and below the teeth and the surface of the 

 tongue should also be cleaned. 



When the brushing is finished, lukewarm water should 



be taken into the mouth and forced between ^ A ., £ xf _ 



, , , , i-i Details of the 



and around the teeth several times by — M . — .- . 



. ., r , , , , J Tooth Toilet 



means of the lips, cheeks, and tongue. 



This is as important as the proper use of the toothbrush 



itself. The tooth toilet should take from three to five 



minutes. 



Even the best use of the toothbrush will not always keep 

 the spaces between the teeth entirely clean. If food par- 

 ticles collect in these spaces, a bit of dental floss may be 

 passed up and down between the teeth, care being taken not 

 to injure the delicate gums. 



With all precautions tooth decay is likely to begin in 

 places; and the teeth should be regularly examined by a 

 competent dentist twice a year to detect such troubles in 

 time. 



23 



