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Show Dental Hygiene 88 The Road to Health By DR. R. ALLEN GRIFFITH THE DENTIST A SUCCESSFUL dentist must be something of a surgeon, an artist, a sculptor and a mechanic. He should have the same understanding under-standing of tli e laws of physics, chemistry and biology that the physician should have. He should .iave the same delicate skill that Is required of the successful surgeon. Re must be a mechanic of the highest high-est order and must be able to perform per-form these mechanical operations upon living tissue through an opening open-ing in tlie face about two inches wido. The dentist's education consists' of a four-year course of 32 weeks and 6 days in each week. The dental student must study the same fun-, damental subjects as the physician,' such as anatomy, physiognomy, pathology, path-ology, materia-medica, bacteriology, histology, chemistry, etc. Besides he must study many special dental subjects. After he graduates, if he expects to keep up with the rapid advances of his profession, he must keep on studying and taking special courses as long as he lives, for no individual individ-ual can possibly master the dental art in the schools alone. This Is equally true of medicine. The dentist must have patients as well as patience. Few people go to him until they have to, consequently consequent-ly they expect to be hurt and are in anything but a cheerful frame of mind. The dentist must do all the smiling for both himself and patient. All this is about to change. The day has passed when the dentist, will be looked upon as a mere tooth carpenter. The public is beginning to learn the relation between teeth and health, and the dentist has already al-ready learned that his work has a far-reaching effect, not only upon the health, but upon the very life of his patient. The day Is coming when the public pub-lic will begin to realize -that to be well, they must have .sound healthy teeth in clean healthy mouths. They will then associate the dentist with life and hope and health and youth, instead of pain. When dentistry has accomplished its wonderful stage of present day evolution, the dentist will no longer long-er be avoided as long a: possible. He will be sought as one who brings . health and comfort and freedom from pain. People will go to him, not because they have toothache, but in order that they may not have toothache. Dentistry will be looked upon as a pain and disease preventive preven-tive and will be welcomed as among the most useful and popular professions. profes-sions. DEVELOPMENT OF DENTISTRY THE records of the practice of dentistry date back in the case of the Egyptians to somewhere about three thousand years before the Christian era. Even In this early period we have evidence that some methods were in vogue for the prevention pre-vention of dental disease. For In-, stance, the Ebers papyri, probably', compiled gradually from 3000 B. 0. to 1500 B. C, contains the following' prescription for strengthening the teeth: "Powder of flint stone one part, green lead one part, honey one part to be rubbed on the teeth." , Relics of the ancient times show that the Egyptians, Babylonians,' Greeks, Romans, all had a system of dentistry, however crude it may have been. In 1SS3 the first college of dentistry dentis-try was established In the United States at Baltimore, and American dentistry has led the world since that time. The progress of dentistry has been so rapid that today It Is being recognized as second to no other science in its Importance to good health and human welfare. This is Its modern development far beyond that dreamed of In Egypt or Greece. The new theory Is simple. sim-ple. The mouth, It says, Is something over which there Is sanitary control. con-trol. It should be watched Instead In-stead of being neglected. In the mouth are the teeth and the teeth have a direct relation to the general gen-eral health. That prevention of decay of the teeth and disease of the gums Is possible to a great extent t.s the modern watchword of dental science. sci-ence. The same measures which are necessary to prevent dental troubles will also prevent other troubles that affect the human system. The mouth Is the gateway through which everything must pass that enters the body. On good, sound teeth nnd a clean healthy mouth depend mastication, digestion, diges-tion, nutrition, health, happiness and long life. Oral hygiene Is the latest oR'er-Ing oR'er-Ing of dental science to the world. It is the science of taking proper care of the teeth and mouth to promote pro-mote health. Simple mouth cleanliness will prevent pre-vent and cure disease and prolong life. |