sease germs. Until recently the only
rule about the teeth of new recruits in the United States army was:
"There must be two opposing molars on each side of the mouth. It
doesn't matter how rotten these molars may be." The surgeon general was
persuaded to change to "four opposing molars on each side"; still
nothing as to the condition of the two additional molars! In the German
army there is a regular morning inspection of teeth and toothbrushes.
Several German insurance companies give free dental treatment to policy
holders, not to bestow charity but to increase profits.

Neglecting "baby teeth" and adenoids may mean crooked second teeth that
will cause: (1) hundreds of dollars for straightening; (2) permanent
business handicap because crooked teeth are disagreeable to others,
because mastication is less perfect, and because a disfigured mouth
means dis-arranged nerves; or perhaps (3) large dental bills because it
is difficult to clean between cramped, crooked teeth.

Unfortunately the great majority of parents rarely think of their
children's teeth until too late to preserve them intact. Even among
families where the rule of brushing the teeth twice daily prevails,
regular dental examination is often not required. Doctors and dentists
themselves have not been trained to realize that the teeth are a most
dangerous source of infection when unclean. Does your dentist insist
upon removing tartar and food particles beyond your reach, upon
polishing and cleansing, or does he regard these as vanity touches, to
be omitted if you are in a hurry?

[Illustration: INDUSTRIAL HANDICAPS DISCOVERED AT SCHOOL]

Physicians send tuberculosis patients to hospitals or camps without
correcting the mouth conditions that make it impossible for the patient
to eat or swallow without infecting himself. Tonics are given to women
whose teeth are breeding and harboring disease germs that tear down
vitality. Nurses watch their suffering patients and do the heavier
tasks heroically, but are not trained to teach the simple truths about
dental hygiene. The far-reaching results of neglect of teeth will not
be understood until greater emphasis is placed on the bacteriology, the
economics, the sociology, and the aesthetics of clean, sound teeth.
Whether or not there is at present a tendency to exaggerate the
importance of sound teeth, there is no difference of opinion as to the
fact that the teeth harbor virulent germs, that the high temperature o