At the slightest complaint of discomfort or the merest suspicion of decay, the child should go to the dentist for attention. Prevention saves both pain and expense. The dentist’s office should be a place of comfort, not of torture by reason of neglect and decay.
The Eyes. The eyes of mankind were called upon chiefly for long-distance seeing, observation of operations with coarse materials, and slow adjustment, until the past few hundred years of civilization with its printing, sewing, and other fine close work. The anatomy of the eye has not yet become adapted to these new demands.
The child’s eye is not fully developed. The shape of the eyeball is undergoing change during the first twenty years. Farsightedness is normal until from nine to twelve years of age.
Eyestrain will result, therefore, if the eyes are called upon for fine, close work during the first ten years. There is also a hereditary form of nearsight that can be detected as early as six years by the oculist, and that demands special care. Astigmatism (a structural defect causing blurred vision) is a prevalent cause of eyestrain. Squint and cross-eye, which are due to structural defect, require treatment in early childhood or babyhood to prevent the necessity of an operation, or possible blindness.
Even normal eyes will suffer if their use is abused. The following precautions should be observed with little children and taught to school children, as practices to be avoided for the sake of strong eyes:
Rubbing the eyes
Staring at a strong light
Watching a flickering light (as in moving pictures)
Sudden flash of strong light
Looking at pictures, reading, writing, drawing, or doing handwork, in poor light