Show Your Health Principle of Focal Infection Is Firmly Established Fact n By William Illiam Brady rad M. M D. D I IA A lot of people still live although they have lost many or most of their teeth and have not had the missing missing- teeth re replaced replaced replaced re- re placed with th den den- t tures UP Some of these these 3 defectives defective excuse r themselves f for o r n I this neglect by r i 1 A pretending the they Y l cant can't afford the A 4 necessary d den e n meaning meaning usually not unless unless unless un un- less they fore forego o such Shell luxuries as Dr Brady Brad radios television lon receivers expensive expensive ex ex- pensive cars and whatever other fancy things can be had for a afew afew afew few pennies a day Others go toothless or with many back teeth missing because they are ignorant of physiology and hygiene They imagine that by holding the mouth carefully they can conceal their affliction from ordinary notice Knowing nothing about the function of the teeth they spend on nostrums through the years many times timea H what t it would have cost to keep all of their teeth in good functioning functioning function function- ing condition or have functionally efficient dentures installed to re replace replace replace re- re place missing teeth Nostrums for indigestion acidity ty gas and other manifestations of Yankee ee stomach Became Edentulous Then there are a smaller number number number num num- ber let us hope still breathing who became edentulous by doctors doctor's doctors doctor's doctors doctor's doc doc- tors tor's orders or on the advice of a dentist In the second and third decades of the century the principle principle pie of focal infection which infection which was wasand wasand wasand and 1 is a sound scientific principle was was shamefully exploited by many any physicians as sufficient motive motive motive mo mo- tive for ordering patients to have most or all nIl their teeth removed And unfortunately there were too I many dentists who carried out the I order without scruple This beI because because be be- cause of the inferiority complex x I I of the dental profession sion They grit their teeth about it the dentists dentists- whose skill and service are as I great and as valuable as the skill p and service of ot any physician or specialist t in my judgment judgment but but j nevertheless it Is true regrettably I so And I believe the dentists will continue to be handicapped by this this this' inferiority complex that is to say consciousness g of ot their inferiority to physicians careful fellows even your teeth can stand only so 80 much stress until ever every reputable dentist first acquires acquire the degree Doctor of Medicine and then takes whatever postgraduate training his or her chosen specialty may I require Harvard and Baltimore schools have alread already taken talen the first steps in leading the dental I profession back to the parent medical profession and I hope the I I rank and file of ot dental may not permit petty pique to hinder this return to the medical medical medical medi medi- cal profession where all good dentists dentists den den- lists belong The principle of or focal infection was and is not just a theory It was established firmly enough by bythe bythe bythe the work of such distinguished men as E. E C C. Rosenow and Frank Billings in 1909 These physicians and other investigators working working- with them or along the same ame line showed that in a good many cases chronic obstinate or recurring ailments ail ail- ments notably ments-notably notably neuritis nephritis Brights Bright's disease kidney trouble m my y o 0 c car a r d i 1 t l s' s heart trouble chronic or recurring inflammation of more than one joint joint are arc due to LO toa toa a kind of silent septicemia or slow poisoning blood-poisoning a transportation of a fifth column of germs from a little old focus of infection say in inthe inthe the tonsil at the root of a decayed tooth in one of the nasal sinuses to distant tissues which do not re resist resist resist re- re the invasion actively ana actively anaphylactic ana ana- or allergic reaction If H or when thorough general examination reveals evidence of the existence of a septic focus Inthe Inthe in inthe the throat about the teeth in a sinus gall-bladder gall middle ear ca cavity urinary genito-urinary tract or elsewhere careful study of the patients patient's patients patient's patients patient's pa pa- tient's medical history and present symptoms or and/or sometimes bacteriological bacteriological bac bac- determination of the type of germs in the focus may warrant surgical eradication of the focus Now I hope every everyone one who reads this piece will remember what I Isay Isay Isay say A good doctor may send the patient to the dentist for treatment treatment treat treat- ment whatever ment-whatever whatever treatment the dentist considers necessary but II does oes not take a quick look in the mouth and order the poor suck sucker r to have all his teeth out QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ERS Contact Jen Lenses e eThe The widely advertised ad invisible contact lenses Id I'd like to invest in them if I were sure they are satisfactory J J. J R R. R B. B Answer Generally Answer Generally they can be bc worn for several hours before one has to remove them for comfort Copyright 1950 by John F. F Dille Co |