of the saying that "every child costs a tooth." This notion is of
course absurd, yet it is quite true that toothache and the decay or
loosening of the teeth are not infrequently associated with
pregnancy. On this account, throughout the period of pregnancy
particular care should be given the teeth.

One of the very first duties of a prospective mother, after she knows
that conception has taken place, is to visit her dentist. This step
is very important as a means of insuring the teeth against such
harmful influence as pregnancy may have upon them. If the dentist
finds the teeth in poor condition, the patient should consent to have
them treated immediately. That this is the reasonable course seems
sufficiently obvious, yet the majority of women have been slow to
adopt such a view.

For a long time dental work of every description was incorrectly
believed to have an untoward effect upon the development of the
child; and the extraction of a tooth, it was thought, would surely be
followed by miscarriage. Although the extraction of teeth is not
frequently undertaken nowadays, I have known several prospective
mothers who required the operation, and who had it performed without
experiencing a single untoward symptom. Very naturally dental work
should be restricted during pregnancy to that which is absolutely
necessary, and temporary fillings generally suffice; but whatever is
needed should be done without delay.

Brushing the teeth after meals and removing particles of food that
may have been caught between them--important enough at all times--are
of even greater importance during pregnancy. If the gums are sore and
the teeth show a tendency to loosen, the best tooth-paste is one