[This tape was transferred from a 16mm film original by Colorlab for the National Library of Medicine.  August 2008.  NLM call number HF 2177.]

[Dental Health.]

Get your gear in shape well (unintelligible).

Plenty of exercise and fresh air.

Yes sir, you take care of everything you've got - carefully, too.

Your clothes, equipment, your body.

That is, almost everything.

Nobody knows why it is.  Maybe you forget, or don't have time.

Maybe you're just (unintelligible).

But, whatever it is, the majority of you fellas simply refuse to look after your teeth.

I know, teeth somehow just don't seem to be important.

You've got 'em, they don't give you any trouble, why not (intelligible).

You probably think they're stupid.

A tooth's a tooth.  You get a hole in it, you have it filled or pulled out - so what?

Well here's "so what."

The teeth are the only parts of the body that will not replace themselves once they become damaged.

You cut your finger, and it heals.  Not a tooth.

Once it starts to go, it goes.

And when it's gone, it's really gone - for good.

Alright, you want to know how teeth can knock you out.

But, let's learn a little something about them.

Here are the 32 permanent teeth you should normally have: 16 in the upper jaw, and 16 in the lower jaw.

The two middle teeth, above and below, are called central incisors.

The next are called lateral incisors.

These two teeth, above and below, together with the central incisors, do your cutting for you.

After these come the cuspids.

These teeth are all used for cutting and tearing your food.

Then, the bicuspids - and the molars.

These are the heavy duty teeth - the ones that grind or mash what you eat to a pulp so it can be properly digested.

And here's how they're all anchored to the jawbones.

The tooth is held there by a membrane, or tissue, made up of thousands of tiny fibers holding the tooth to the jawbone.

This membrane [periodontal membrane], incidentally, serves another purpose too.

It acts as a cushion or shock absorber when biting pressure is applied to the tooth.

Now, let's examine the tooth itself.

The crown, that part you see above the gums, is covered by a very hard, glossy substance called enamel.

The crown is the chewing surface of the tooth.

The body of the tooth is made up of an ivory-like tissue known as dentine.

In the heart of the tooth is a space called the pulp chamber.

It's filled with small blood vessels and nerve fibers.

They're responsible for keeping the tooth alive and healthy.

We'll talk about it more a little later on.

Meanwhile, let's talk about pain.

Pain is simply nature's way of letting you know something's wrong.

Take this soldier, for example.

He thinks he's in pretty good shape - feels great, strong as an ox.

But it didn't take that candy long to find his weakness - he's got a hole in his tooth!

Cold water or ice cream could do the same thing.

No need for it either, if he'd taken care of his teeth properly.

But, you still can't see how a little thing like a hole in a tooth can lay a man out, can you?

Alright, we'll show you.  We'll go on the first step in that direction: decay.

To begin with, certain foods you eat are called carbohydrates.

That includes anything with sugar in it such as candy, cake, pie, and the like.

Okay, now take a look at this picture.

You eat on an average of three meals a day.

That means well over a thousand meals a year - not counting the stuff you nibble on between meals.

This is a clean set of teeth, and this is the way they usually look after you've eaten.

See how they're clogged and plugged up with food?

If you don't clean it out, you can get in trouble. Here's how.

Remember the carbohydrates we talked about - the sugar and things.

Let's see how they may cause decay.

The mouth is full of bacteria, some of which feed, live, and multiply on those carbohydrates, forming an acid which eats through the enamel into the dentine.

When the decay reaches this point in the dentine, it may (unintelligible) be too late for the dental officer to save the tooth.

If it is not checked, the infection may continue into the pulp chamber, killing the pulp or nerve.

Then the real trouble begins.  The infection continues down into the roots and an abscess may start to form.

Ever see a man with an abscessed tooth?

Well, here's one.  Your face swells out of shape, and it hurts.

But, that's nothing.  Here's the dangerous part.

Remember, you were told to bear in mind how the blood pulses through the vessels of a vital tooth and out to the main blood stream.

That same (unintelligible) material from the tooth is circulated throughout the entire body, passing through the heart, kidneys, stomach, eyes, and joints of the body - everywhere.

And if you're leery of going to the dentist because you're afraid it might hurt a little, just think of the pain you'll suffer later if you don't go.

It's the old story of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure.

You can save any tooth if you get at it in time.

And you can assist in keeping your teeth and gum tissue healthy by eating the proper foods.

The Army gives you meals that are well-balanced and rich in food value, so why not take advantage of it?

Eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, and meat - they're important too.

They all contain nutrtional essentials that make strong, healthy bodies.

As for sweets, those carbohydrates we talked about -

if you're one of those who think you haven't had a square meal unless you've topped it off with a piece of pie or cake -

the best advice is to eat sweets and desserts in moderation.

Those in-between snacks too can do a lot of harm, plugging your teeth with refuse, that can't wait to begin it's dirty work.

And don't use your teeth for cracking nuts!

Or, worse yet, as a bottle opener.  It's dental suicide, brother.

It not only chips the enable, leaving a wide opening for decay, it can, and often does, knock out a big piece of your tooth.

But, most important of all, clean your teeth often, and clean them well.  We can't stress that too much.

(intelligible) cleaning your teeth?  Can you tell me?  Yet you'd think it's the hardest job a GI comes up against.

Three minutes after every meal - that's all it takes.

This business of brushing the teeth actually serves two purposes.

First, to clean the teeth, and second, to stimulate and exercise the gums.

Oh yes, the gums need exercise too, just like any other part of your body, and if they don't get it, they may become diseased, and pyorrhea may be the result.

But, we'll talk about gum diseases and pyorrhea in a minute.

Right now, let's talk about this.  It's the GI tooth brush, the one you were issued when you came into the Army.

We think it's the best brush you can get.  It's small with two rows of stout bristles, designed to reach any section of the mouth.

When one wears out, you can always buy another at the PX.

As a matter of fact, it's a good idea to have at least two of them, so you can alternate.

It not only makes each brush last longer, but it gives them a chance to dry out before you have to use them again.

Wet, soggy bristles aren't worth a hoot for cleaning the teeth.

Neither is a worn out tooth brush.

As for the dentifrice to be used, it's up to you, but play safe.

A product bearing the seal of acceptance of the American Dental Association is recommended.

Tooth paste or tooth powder - either is good.  All-purpose GI soap could be used.

But the main thing to remember is this: it's the brush that does the cleaning, not the dentifrice.

The dentifrice acts as an aid to cleaning, nothing more.

And anytime you see a toothpaste advertisement claiming to cure acid (unintelligible), overcome pink tooth brush, prevent decay, cure spongy gums and pyorrhea -

don't you believe it - they don't. None of them do.

Cross brushing can be harmful.  See how those bristles scratch against the gums?

It may also harm the teeth.  Here's the right way to do it.

Clean the teeth in the upper jaw with a downward motion.

And the teeth in the lower jaw with an upward motion, like this.

It's not hard to do.  You simply place the brush in your mouth and sort of twist it up and down, like this.

You have, or should have, 32 teeth in your (unintelligible), as well as in front (unintelligible).

And along the chewing surfaces.

And it doesn't hurt to bear out a little bit either, so that those bristles get in between the teeth, and do a good job there, as well.

When you're finished cleaning your teeth, it's always well to wash your mouth out with water, flushing it as vigorously as possible.

And go easy on the patent mouth washes. Despite what the ads say, most of them are too harsh for regular use.

If you want a daily mouth wash, make one - by adding a little table salt or baking soda to a (unintelligible) or glass of water.

That's as good as anything you can buy.

Here's another reason why you should brush your teeth regularly.

Calculus or tartar - you know what that is - that's that hard crust that, as a rule, forms on the teeth right here.

You'll notice how the gums may be shrunken back where the tartar is.  That may become serious.

Brushing will keep the tartar down if you catch it in its early stages.

However, if the teeth are neglected, and become heavily encrusted with this stuff, then all you can do is go to your dentist - because he's the only one who can get if off for you.

If you want to use dental floss to clean between a couple of teeth that are too close together for the brush, do it with caution.

Insert the floss gently. Slide it back and forth, or up and down.

Carefully - so that you won't cut or injure the gum in any way.

Now let's go a step further and take up the subject of gum disease and pyorrhea.

You'd be surprised how many people have it and don't know it - until it's too late, when most of the supporting bone is destroyed.

The teeth are loose, and have to be removed and replaced.

Gum disease is a pretty common ailment - so common that the majority of you have it.

Many of you may even have pyorrhea.  So, let's find out about it.

One of the most common causes of pyorrhea is uncleanliness - failure to brush the teeth and gums properly.

This permits calculus or tartar to form on the teeth, and permits the gums to become soft and flabby.

Pyorrhea may also be caused by a lack of the necessary foods, causing the bone and gum tissue to break down.

Here's a set of normal, healthy teeth, the way nature intended they should be.

Lack of care permits tartar and food to accumulate next to the teeth and gums.

The first thing you know, the gums become irritated.  They become swollen and inflamed.

So what happens?  The infection continues.  The gums start shrinking away from the teeth.  That's when the real damage begins.

The tartar continues to accumulate, causing more irritation.

When (unintelligible), you're in serious trouble.

The tissues (unintelligible) and bone that hold the teeth in place are by now so diseased, and the socket so destroyed, they can no longer do their job.

The teeth become loose.  They move with the slightest touch.

It's the beginning of the end.  Nothing can be done now. They'll have to be pulled out.

And all the while, the blood is carrying the poison from the infection to every section of the body.

You know what can happen then - heart trouble, kidney trouble, bad eyes, sinus - remember?

Can pyorrhea be cured?  Sure, if it hasn't gone too far.  Your dentist will give you treatments and tell you what to do.

The most important bit of advice to you now is to keep your teeth clean and your gums stimulated and healthy.

So much for that. Now let's look into the matter of dentures - false teeth to you.

I know the idea (unintelligible), but just remember, the men who now have to wear these once had teeth every bit as good as yours.

Just listen in, because tomorrow it might be you - if you don't look after the ones you've got.

They make pretty good dentures these days - can't tell some of them from the real thing.

Of course, you can't improve on nature.  But they've got it down to where they do a very serviceable job, and they have a lot to do with the way you look.

Take this fellow for instance - he seems perfectly normal, doesn't he?

But, wait 'til he takes out those dentures.  Makes quite a difference.  He almost looks like Popeye!

Well, that's the way almost anyone would look without teeth.

So, if you wear them, keep them in your mouth.  There's a good reason for it, particularly if you're just learning to use them.

It's the only way you'll get accustomed to new dentures, so they won't get in your way while you talk, eat, and even when sleeping.

Keep them in your mouth all the time.  That way the muscles, cheeks, and tongue become accustomed to them.

And don't be a smart guy.

Don't think you're fooling the dentist by wearing them in your pocket, because you're really only fooling yourself.

It's a sure fire way to break them.

Keep them in your mouth where they belong if you want dentures that will serve the purpose for which they were intended.

However, if your gums start getting a little sore or tender, and you need relief for awhile, take them out.

But, when you do, always place them in a glass of cold water.  Don't use hot water, or they'll warp.

And if you're unhappy because you don't feel right, think of George Washington.  These are the teeth he wore.

Heavy, bulky things carved out of ivory, and held together by a set of spiral springs.

Not very pleasant things to have in the mouth, are they? But he wore them because he knew he had to eat properly if he was to stay healthy.

Washington knew the value of false teeth.  You saw what he had to wear.  You're luckier - the Army makes your teeth, and they're the finest.

So wear them and take care of them.  Keep them in your mouth where they won't get bent or broken.

And wash them after every meal, thoroughly, with soap and cold water.

For those among you who wear partial plates, you've got to be careful with them, too.

See how they're anchored to the regular teeth by wires?

Those wires may get bent.  Then, the whole plate is of no more use to you than if you didn't have it at all.

As a matter of fact, it can cause a lot of harm by putting pressure on your good teeth.

This causes them to become loose, and out of line - then they're no good to you either.

One last word about dentures.  If you have to wear them, don't think you can go around biting into everything.

Apples, for instance.  Those dentures just aren't made for heavy biting.  This will happen every time with an apple, or any hard substance.

But with knives and forks as plentiful as they are, you shouldn't have to bite into anything.

Always cut the food that requires cutting. For the knife takes the place of your natural incisor teeth.

Place in your mouth only the amount of food (unintelligible) thoroughly crushed and ground by your back teeth.

If you must bite, do it at the corner of your mouth.  Press against the teeth so you hold them in place.  And complete the bite with a twisting, pushing motion of the hand.

In eating an apple, cut off a bite with a knife.  Then, you'll have no trouble.

Chewing - that's what dentures are for.  Chewing slowly and deliberately, masticating your food carefully so that your digestion will be right,

and you'll be right to do the job of soldiering for which you're being trained.

Remember, the big part of the job of taking care of your teeth is up to you.

The teeth you have now are the only ones you'll ever have, and you've got to protect them.

Everything you eat is food for the bacteria which live in your mouth.

Some of the bacteria feed and multiply on carbohydrate particles on unclean teeth.

If you don't stop them, the acids they form may develop cavities, resulting in painful abscesses or infections, which can give you plenty of trouble.

The best way to avoid that is to brush your teeth regularly. Use a good tooth brush, and use it properly.

And if you do have dental problems, go to your dental officer right away.

Naturally, when you're up in the combat zone, you're not going to have much time to think of your teeth.

But remember, taking care of them beforehand is one of the many factors that will determine your fitness, your will, your ability to win.

[The end.  United States of America War Office.  T. F. 8  2096]

[This film will not be shown to the general public without permission of the War Department.]

[From the film library of the American Dental Association.  Chicago.]