en will make every effort in their power to live up to the
school's standard of cleanliness. The other side to this reason for
having clean teeth is vanity. Because all cleanliness is beautiful to
us, clean teeth are one attribute of beauty that all of us can possess.

Habits of cleanliness are easily fixed. In the most crowded, most
overworked section of large cities visitors from "uptown" are surprised
by the children's bright hair ribbons, clean aprons, clean faces, and
smoothly combed hair. It will be easy to add clean teeth to the list of
things necessary to personal and family standing. Armenian children
are taught to clean their teeth after eating, even if only an apple
between meals. They covet "beautiful teeth." American standards will
soon prevent these Armenians from cleaning their teeth in public, but
desire for beautiful teeth will stay, and will remind them to care for
their teeth in private. As coarse food gives way to sugars and soft
foods, stiff toothbrushes must supplement tongue and toothpicks.

[Illustration: AN ARMENIAN SCHOOL GIRL]

Strong as are the instinct and display motives in cleaning teeth, both
parents and children need to be reached through the commerce motive.
Instinct makes children afraid of the dentist, or content when the
tooth stops aching. Display may be satisfied with cleaning the front
teeth, as many boys comb only the front hair or as girls hide dirty
scalps under pompadours and pretty ribbons. Desire to save money may
give stronger reasons for not going to the dentist than instinct and
comfort can urge for going. But parents can be made to see, as can
children after they begin to picture themselves as wage earners, that a
dentist in time saves nine, and that no regular family investment will
earn more money than the price of prompt and regular dental care. A
problem in arithmetic would be convincing, if, by questions such as
those on page 98, we could compare the family cost of neglecting teeth
with the cost of toothbrushes, bicarbonate of soda, pulverized chalk or
tooth powder, early and repeated examination by a dentist, and
treatment when needed.

How many members in your family? What does a toothbrush cost?

How many teeth have they? How many do you need in one
year?
How many teeth have they lost?
How much does tooth powder
How many false teeth have they? cost?

Ho