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.
| 6th | year of age | ..... First molars just posterior to the temporary molars. |
| 7th | ””” | ..... First incisors displacing the former incisors. |
| 8th | ””” | ..... Lateral incisors displacing the first lateral incisors. |
| 9th | ””” | ..... Bicuspids displacing the temporary molars. |
| 11th | ””” | ..... Canines displacing the canines of the temporary set. |
| 14th | ””” | ..... Second molars appearing posterior to the first permanent molars. |
| 18th | to 21st year | ..... Third molars or wisdom teeth posterior to second permanent molars. |
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.
CHAPTER III
ANALYZING INFANTS
CHAPTER III