A text-book on hygiene and pediatrics from a chiropractic standpoint

DENTITION

The age at which the child begins to cut teeth varies greatly in the different individuals with no apparent reason. There are twenty deciduous or milk teeth and they make their appearance in the following order and at an average time as shown in the data. From six to eight months of age the lower central incisors appear. The four upper incisors do not appear until from the seventh to the tenth month; then the two lower lateral incisors and four anterior molars come through between the tenth and fourteenth month. From a year and a half to two years of age the four canines put in their appearance, and from two years to two and a half the four posterior molars. This completes the set. By the time a child is one year of age he should have six teeth; at the age of one and a half years, twelve teeth; at two years, sixteen teeth; and by the time he is two and a half years of age he should have the entire set of twenty. The table below gives the order in which the deciduous teeth appear and the approximate time when they may be expected. This time is subject to great variation. This variation does not necessarily indicate an abnormality. In some children the teeth appear much earlier than in others. The appearance of the first teeth may be as late as the tenth month in perfectly healthy children. However, if the delay is too great attention should be given the child.

Normal children cut their teeth without any very severe symptoms. If the child is below normal, or if there are meric zones in which the structures are not receiving a sufficient amount of mental impulses, symptoms will be produced.

At the time of dentition many incoördinations may appear, not because the process of cutting the teeth produces these conditions, but because the process requires a great expenditure of internal energy to produce the eruption of the teeth, hence at such times the forces of the body are very heavily drawn upon. The force that might be used in bringing about adaptation to other conditions must be used in this process. If the child is normal the growth of the teeth will produce no more symptoms than the growth of the nails. During the time teeth are coming through the gums there may be increased salivation and drooling and a tendency for the child to chew on the fingers. Irritability and restlessness at night are very frequent symptoms. It is quite common to have gastro-intestinal disturbances and especially diarrhea.

In delicate and neurotic children all symptoms may be greatly exaggerated and may become alarming. There may be fever and acute indigestion. Diarrhea may become very severe and the child show marked decrease in weight as a result. If the child is having difficulty cutting the teeth it is evident that Innate Intelligence is unable to get the forces to the periphery. In this case the child should have immediate chiropractic attention. It is not uncommon for a temperature to run during the time just before the teeth come through the gums. In such cases a very careful analysis should be made and the child adjusted regularly until the symptoms have disappeared.

In the majority of cases when there is incoördination during the process of dentition it will be found upon careful analysis that there are conditions responsible for the symptoms other than difficult dentition and they are only exaggerated by the dentition.

After the teeth have made their appearance care should be taken that they are kept clean. This may be accomplished by washing the teeth and mouth.

The eruption of the permanent teeth causes no great disturbance and there are usually no symptoms connected with their appearance other than a little discomfort locally. The appearance of the first permanent teeth do not disturb any of the temporary teeth, since they develop just posterior to them. These are the six-year-old molars. Following these we find the incisors displacing the incisors of the temporary teeth. Then comes the bicuspids taking the place of the temporary molars. These are followed by the canines which displace the canines of the temporary set. The next to appear are the second and third molars which occupy a place back of the canines where room has been made by the development of the jaw.

The following table is given to enable the student to get at a glance an idea of the approximate age that the different permanent teeth make their appearance.

Hygiene of the Teeth

It should be remembered that these are the teeth that must serve the child during his entire life and therefore should receive the best of attention. Want of cleanliness is without doubt responsible for much of the trouble with the teeth of children. This is especially true among the poorer class of people and those who do not appreciate the value of proper personal hygiene. Even before there are any teeth the infant’s mouth should be washed and properly cleansed, and attention should be given the teeth as soon as they appear. The child should be taught early in life that it is very essential that the teeth be washed and cleaned regularly. Before the child is old enough to do this the nurse or attendant should do it for him. Food permitted to remain between the teeth will soon decompose in the temperature of the mouth, therefore care should be exercised that all particles of food be removed as soon as possible. Decomposing food has a very destructive effect upon the teeth and tends to destroy the enamel due to the chemical reaction. When there are no subluxations Innate will bring about an adaptation as far as possible, but it is impossible to change the reaction of a chemical without neutralizing it. Undoubtedly Innate does this in many instances, but it should not be necessary for Innate to do this extra work when the filth may be removed educationally.

Lack of cleanliness is entirely too prevalent among some classes of people and it will be found that children who have not had the proper care of the teeth will suffer more or less with dental caries. The common belief that many conditions and incoördinations are caused from the teeth has been proven erroneous by Chiropractic, but the chiropractor should recognize the necessity for the proper care of the teeth and when they are in need of attention the patient should be sent to a dentist. Poor teeth interferes with mastication and prevents the food being properly prepared for gastric digestion. Severe nervous symptoms may arise from toothache.

It must be remembered that proper hygienic methods alone are not sufficient to preserve the teeth in perfect condition. The teeth may be kept strictly clean and yet they decay, as a result of subluxations causing interference with the transmission of mental impulses. If the teeth are decaying the child should be given a thorough analysis and the subluxations should be adjusted. However, the chiropractor does not take the place of the dentist. The child should be taken periodically to the dentist to have the teeth examined and any defects attended to; likewise he should be taken regularly to the chiropractor to have his subluxations adjusted.

Adjustments during Dentition

Most excellent results may be obtained in difficult dentition from chiropractic adjustments. The major for the local condition is M.C.P., but if there are accompanying conditions such as diarrhea or indigestion, the combination will include the zones that may be involved. If there are gastric symptoms then we will include an S.P.; if the intestinal tract is involved then it will be necessary to adjust a lumbar. There are some cases that require adjustments at K.P. During dentition the child should be taken to the chiropractor for an analysis and should receive adjustments to keep him in a healthful condition. Certainly it is much better to have the child in perfect health during the time the teeth are appearing for under the most favorable conditions the cutting of the teeth is very trying on the child. The idea that cutting the teeth is responsible for many abnormal symptoms in children is very old, but it is now generally conceded that the eruption of the teeth in the healthy child will cause no disturbance in his health.