st universally present.

[Sidenote: Alkaline Dentifrice]

[Sidenote: Food Acids]

For an alkaline dentifrice, there is nothing better than lime-water,
made from coarse, unslaked lime. Alkaline washes are very superficial in
their action, however, while fruit acids curdle and thus render
removable the mucin plaques and prevent the formation of tartar. They
also cleanse the tongue and membranes of the mouth generally, which may
be important sources of infection. These acids are found in grape-juice,
orange-juice, apples, and vinegar. Such mechanical cleansing is
particularly important before retiring, as it is usually during the
night that the most damage is wrought.

[Sidenote: Erosion]

The advice of the dentist should be sought as to the condition of the
teeth, especially as to whether there is any erosion or destruction of
enamel, before using either acid or alkaline washes exclusively.

[Sidenote: Periodic Examination]

Periodic examinations and cleanings by the dentist are the only safe
measures. If the dentist has facilities for giving _preventive_
treatment by specially cleaning the teeth, he should be visited every
other month. If such a program is adopted, it will generally be found
unnecessary to visit him for any other purpose.

[Sidenote: Saving Teeth]

Some dentists and physicians have until lately given too much attention
to the saving of teeth, without fully realizing the dangers of infection
from the mechanical devices employed. The teeth should not be extracted
on mere suspicion and without proper effort to save them, but it is far
more important to save a heart or a kidney or a set of joints than it is
to save a tooth. This is not to say that all bridge- and crown-work is
improper, but that such work should only be of a character that will
permit of surgical cleanliness in the mouth, and that such teeth should
always be examined by the X-Ray, when there is evidence of systemic
disease in order to be sure that the roots and sockets are not infected.

[Sidenote: Irregularities of Teeth]

In early life the jaws should be carefully examined by both dentist and
doctor in order to determine whether or not the proper development is
taking place. If upper and lower teeth fail to fit well together, extra
strain is placed upon certain teeth and the sockets are liable to injury
and infection. Faulty development can often be corrected and deformities
that interfere with proper mastication and place a s