Jules J. Sarrazin
Aug 1, 1920
Citations
0
Influential Citations
3
Citations
Journal
Journal of the American Dental Association
Abstract
THE etiology of gum recession may be dystrophic, mechanical, or in fective, or it may be a combination of those causes. Dystrophic gum recession is the first objective symptom of Dental Periclasia, and it is a predisposing cause to Pyor rhea. A disease, acute or chronic, is pro duced by a predisposing and a direct, or exciting cause, often with (1) contrib utory factors. The direct cause is usually infective. Pyorrhea follows the rule, of course. Thus, lowered resistance consisting of reduced opsonism, or of less active or less numerous polymorphonuclear leucocytes, the ingestion of Bacteria Typhosus, with the contribution of favorable (2) culture media, due to character of food, or con dition of digestive secretions, and typhoid fever develops. Similarly, lowered resistance due to Dystrophia of alveolar tissues, staphylostreptococcic invasion, helped by the re tention of infectious plaques between teeth and by faulty dentistry, or by the trauma of faulty occlusion, and Pyorrhea results. The start was Dental Perioclasia, and it will be the end. Occasionally, in general Pathology, either the direct or contributory factor of disease may have (3) been nervous disturbance leading to Neurasthenia, causing faulty Metabolism, with the re sulting indican poisoning of tissue cells; and when such conditions are coupled with Pyorrhea, they must be corrected before capillaries can actively (4) throw out loops to regenerate tissues by build ing new cells where infection has required extensive curetting. Indeed, systemic conditions can never be dis sociated from the treatment of a disease, the eradication of which depends, after the removal of infection, upon favorable physiological conditions for the repair of injured tissues, which can granulate only from one side of the wound, while the cemental surface offers favorable oppor tunity for re-infection. Far more “Vis Medicatrix Naturae” is needed than in the wound where capillaries can throw out loops from opposite (5) directions. Five hundred thousand years ago, the ape-man of Java stopped active' exercise in the open air only to lie down for rest at frequent intervals, like do wild animals; but unknowingly, by natural instinct, to facilitate the heart feeding arterial blood to bodily tissues above it. He knew raw foods only, the pabulum from which is freely soluble in oral fluids, as compared with the creamy sub stance lodging in inspissated mucus from cooked material. Germs were left no favorable plaques to grow in, either to infect gums, or to carry disease to con tiguous tissues, or by moisture globules, or by the ingesta. His food was hard, coarse, fibrous; joining cleansing to eat ing; requiring active exercise of man dible, and strong maxillary impact. No