194 
Hygiene  of  the  Teeth, 
Am,  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1898. 
powders  containing  pumice  stone,  charcoal  or  other  gritty  sub- 
stances will  injure  the  enamel;  charcoal  should  be  especially  con- 
demned, as  it  cannot  be  ground  into  an  impalpable  powder,  and  its 
continuous  use  causes  the  gums  to  assume  a  tatooed  appearance. 
Strongly  alkaline  soaps  or  tooth  washes  are  also  to  be  condemned. 
The  best  base  for  tooth  powders  is  prepared  (not  precipitated) 
chalk ;  it  is  adhesive,  gives  sufficient  friction  and  at  the  same  time 
acts  as  an  antacid.  We  generally  add  some  powdered  orris-root, 
which  has  a  pleasant  flavor  and  a  favorable  effect  upon  the  gums. 
The  addition  of  any  considerable  quantity  of  astringent,  such  as 
alum,  krameria  or  cinchona,  is  not  wise  unless  there  be  a  marked 
vascularity  of  the  gums.  In  conditions  needing  an  astringent  tooth 
wash,  Dr.  Jas.  W.  White  suggests  the  use  of  equal  quantities  of 
tincture  of  krameria  and  eau  de  cologne.  He  thinks  the  use  of  the 
old  standby,  tincture  of  myrrh,  of  questionable  value,  as  by  its  dilu- 
tion the  resin  is  deposited  about  the  necks  of  the  teeth,  aggravating, 
rather  than  alleviating,  the  spongy  conditions  of  the  margins  of  the 
gums.  He  also  suggests  an  excellent  mouth  wash  for  spongy  and 
bleeding  gums,  viz. :  Tannin,  I  drachm ;  potassium  chlorate,  2 
drachms;  boiling  water,  2  pints.  In  case  acids  have  to  be  taken 
as  a  medicine,  they  should  be  largely  diluted  and  taken  through  a 
glass  tube,  and  the  teeth  afterwards  brushed  with  tooth  powder  or 
with  a  solution  of  soda  or  magnesia.  In  case  the  gums  recede  a 
little,  acids  do  special  harm,  as  they  attack  the  dentine  below  the 
enamel. 
An  aching  tooth  should  never  be  extracted  if  possible  to  save  it 
by  treatment  and  filling,  because  not  only  is  the  tooth  lost,  but  the 
opposing  tooth  in  the  other  jaw  loses  its  antagonist  and  has  nothing 
to  grind  against,  and  may,  therefore,  rise  beyond  the  line  of  the 
adjacent  teeth  ;  the  pressure  produced  during  mastication  seems  to 
be  essential  to  the  retention  of  the  teeth  in  their  natural  positions. 
It  is  a  wise  thing,  therefore,  to  frequently  give  a  child  a  crust  of 
bread  to  exercise  its  teeth  upon,  notwithstanding  soft  food  may 
agree  with  it. 
The  proper  material  for  filling  teeth  must  be  left  to  the  dentist's 
discretion  and  the  state  of  our  pocket-books;  it  can  be  said,  however, 
that  generally  the  best  material  is  gold.  Few  would  be  so  foolish 
as  the  lady  of  fashion  who  had  two  small  h  jles  drilled  in  her  upper 
incisors  and  diamonds  inserted. 
