Teeth Care

( Originally Published 1851 )

A person cannot be too careful of his teeth, for much of his comfort depends upon attention to their cleanliness. Care ought to be taken that no grit be in any composition that he may use. Char-coal, however useful, ought to be used with caution, for even the finest contains sharp edges, which by friction will wear away the outer coat, and produce speedy decay. Filing is very injurious: remove the outward shell, and acids will, with ease, be enabled to act upon and corrode the teeth. Avoid purchasing all compositions for beautifying and whitening the teeth; they are in general composed of deleterious substances. I know a lady who made use of magnesia; her teeth were exquisitely white; but before she arrived at thirty, her front teeth had decayed. Another used lime, and was not more successful. Water, with a few drops of the tincture of myrrh, will be fully adequate. The too frequent use of acids is the principal cause of the loss of teeth. Myrrh will cause the gums to adhere closely to the tooth, and will therefore act as a preservative. There is great connexion between the stomach and the teeth; if care is not taken that the digestive organs be kept in order, the nerve of the tooth may be easily irritated, and cause great pain.

Salt dissolved in vinegar, and held in the mouth will relieve the severest pain, if the stomach be not the cause. A morbid stomach will generate both tooth and ear ache.