Teeth and mouth hygiene

Teeth and mouth hygiene by Louis Reiss and William J. Fielding is a concise popular health guide written in the early 20th century. It focuses on preventive dentistry—showing how everyday mouth care, wise diet, and early-life habits build strong teeth and protect general health.

The book links tooth trouble to whole-body illness, explains how decay starts (plaque, tartar, acids), warns about the hidden dangers of “dead” teeth and focal infections, and shows how teeth shape the face and benefit from real chewing. It teaches simple, practical hygiene—brushing methods, flossing, tongue cleaning, selected mouthwashes, and brush care—and notes the public-health gains seen when children learn these habits. Guidance for infancy and childhood covers prenatal tooth formation, the critical role of the mother’s diet, eruption timelines, breast and bottle feeding, introducing solids, hard foods to encourage mastication, habits to avoid (thumb sucking, pacifiers, mouth breathing), and care schedules that keep the first teeth until they are naturally replaced; special emphasis is placed on protecting the six‑year molars. The authors describe pyorrhea and abscesses (acute and “blind”), the need for early treatment and X‑ray diagnosis, problems from impacted teeth, and the cancer risk from chronic mouth irritation. A clear nutrition section prioritizes mineral salts and vitamines over refined sugars and starches, offers a food guide, and outlines a daily pattern for expectant mothers. The work closes by urging regular dental examinations, X‑rays when indicated, cautious use of bridges and crowns, and a preventive approach as the surest path to lifelong oral and general health. (This is an automatically generated summary.)