Habits That Cause Homeliness
By Dr. E. J. Leonard
WOODS HUTCHINSON once remarked, in effect, that well-defined facial ugliness points an accusing finger at early and woful neglect of the jaws and teeth. In the minds of many, an ignorance of or an indifference to the latter is the origin of more facial unsightliness than any other single factor. I do not know of anything more productive of an eyesore than infant mouth-breathing coupled with the habit of thumb-sucking. With this combination, it is doubtful if a child with a good physical inheritance would grow to an adult even "easy to look at." Mouth-breathing predisposes a long, narrow jaw; and the persistent working of that infant thumb may produce the situation sometimes referred to as, "She'd look all right only for her teeth." A mother must know, if her child's nasal passage is choked with adenoids, that the mouth-breathing, not being a habit, is an obvious effect. See to the prompt removal of these growths, and you are doing more than you can readily imagine in fostering the child's good health and appearance. The juvenile habits of thumb-sucking and lip-biting must be stifled with determination if the infant is to be saved from future dental ugliness. The photograph of the lower jaw, herein shown, is an excellent sample of the effect upon the teeth of the "biting down" of the upper lip. In this case, the protrusion of the front teeth is so well marked that it requires little imagination to restore a thick, exceedingly prominent lip on its original possessor. The teeth are the real guardians of the normal development of the lower jaw, and a big factor in determining the contour of the face. In fact, were a child brought to the dentist when its first or "milk" teeth had arrived, and the mother impressed with the relation of these organs to the teeth that are to come, most of our dental ugliness would be unknown. A great trouble is, that mothers are very often unable to distinguish the "baby" tooth from the permanent variety. If in a boy of six or over the teeth give offense, they are in many cases thought to be of a primary character, and soon yield to the forceps of a busy dentist. Nine times out of ten, a tooth will never succeed the extracted organ; and the effect of this practise is shown in the accompanying photograph of the young girl. If your child's teeth are inclined to be irregular, the one remedy is a good dentist; and even his skill, to be but fairly painful, must be sought out with promptness. See to it that your child is not a mouth-breather; discourage firmly the habits of thumb-sucking, lip-biting, and tongue-sucking; instil in the young mind the hygiene of the mouth, and you are doing a good share in the production of a people soon to bask in the glow of better health and improved appearance.