Show what to eat and why C houston goudiss goudi alss offers timely advice on avoiding the fhe menace of tooth decay by C HOUSTON GOUDISS 0 NE of the most serious indictments against our present day civilization is its failure to preserve the teeth of men women and children countless examinations in all parts of the country reveal that practically per cent of the adult population is afflicted with some form of oral disease ind and surveys of the physical condition of school pupils in different localities cali ties and under various circumstances cum stances disclose that tooth decay affects between 90 and 97 per cen cent t of 0 our for school children remarkable and widely heralded advances have been made in our knowledge of how to control and prevent many dangerous and debilitating diseases yet we appear to be complacent in the face of the fact that the majority of our population is handicapped by decayed teeth nor does the mere statement of the case convey any idea of the seriousness of the situation for it is unfortunate that diseased teeth and dental infections which may result from unchecked uncheck id decay seldom incapacitate the sufferer thus the victim does doe not become sufficiently alarmed to take the steps necessary to arrest the progress of the diseased condition yet a single decayed tooth might be compared to a poison factory distributing its noxious products to every part of the body and tooth decay may be indirectly responsible for rheumatic ailments neuritis dyspepsia or duodenal ulcers it may even be a contributing cause of heart trouble possibilities of prevention yet there is little or no excuse for the appalling amount of dental decay that afflicts the american people for in recent years a vast amount of laboratory and clinical research has been undertaken in this field and there is impressive evidence that dental caries or decay may be completely controlled by dietary means then too our understanding of correct dental hygiene has advanced tremendously and scientifically designed tooth brushes and skillfully compounded dentifrices denti frices are available in every town and hamlet throughout the country diet and dental disease various investigators have advocated different dietary formulas for the control of dental decay there is a lack of agreement among them as to which single element is the most important in constructing a diet to prevent caries but outstanding authorities hold that each of the five following dietary factors has a controlling influence vitamins A C and D an adequate supply in the correct proportions of the minerals calcium and phosphorus an excess of alkaline or base forming foods over acid forming foods and a generous allowance of raw foods with emphasis on those that leave an alkaline ash vitamin A and tooth structure notable rese research aYch has demonstrated that vitamin A is a definite factor in controlling tooth development the development of the enamel is governed by a complex structure which begins to deteriorate as soon as vitamin A is withheld when experimental animals are placed on a diet lacking in this vitamin their teeth become brittle chalky and white this is due to the loss of the enamel with its orange colored pigment and the exposure of the dentine an english authority also claims that vitamin A is necessary to help prevent diseases of the gums inasmuch as vitamin A likewise has many other important functions to perform in the body every homemaker should see to it that her meals contain an abundance of milk and other dairy products and the green leafy and yellow vegetables which are a good source of this vitamin vitamin C and tooth health vitamin C is closely associated with the health of both teeth and gums there is strong evidence that this vitamin is essential to the dentine enamel and the bone of the jaw and there are on record remarkable experiments which demonstrate that dental decay and gum disorders are both prevented and arrested when extra amounts of foods containing vitamin C are in included in a well balanced diet vitamin C is best obtained from the citrus fruits tomatoes and raw leafy vegetables such as cabbage vitamin D which we get from the sun from fish liver oils and concentrates and from irradiated foods and those fortified with vitamin D concentrate is necessary for the proper utilization of the t he calcium and phosphorus which must be generously supplied it if the teeth are to develop properly |