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The Teeth: Charcoal

Carbonate of magnesia or "magnesia alba" is a white powder which is valuable because of its absorbent qualities and its power to neutralize acids that may be present in the mouth. It is used in medicine for acid dyspepsia. Hence it is entirely safe and a very effective ingredient in tooth powder. - Charcoal is a form of carbon obtained by charring wood or by heating it in close vessels. Charcoal varies according to the method by which it is produced. The best charcoal for toilet purposes is areca-nut charcoal, but this is expensive and often adulterated. Next best is the sort of charcoal used as an ingredient of gunpowder made of hard, nonresinous wood, or soft wood such as willow and poplar, by roasting in iron cylinders. Charcoal has an extraordinary capacity for absorbing gases. It cannot be melted or dissolved in acids, will not decay, and is not affected by ordinary temperatures. It is a very poor conductor of heat. On account of its property of absorbing gases, it is used in medicine in certain forms of dyspepsia, also to preserve flesh or sweeten it when tainted. As an ingredient of tooth powders, it tends to sweeten and purify the breath.

Cuttlefish Bone. - This substance is the shell of a mollusk of world-wide distribution. It is sold in powdered form under the name of pounce" for tooth powder and other purposes.

It has some value in neutralizing acids, but is less valuable for this purpose than chalk or magnesia. It is also harsher in its scouring effect, for which reason it is, in small quantities, a valuable ingredient in tooth powders. It must, however, be finely powdered and used with caution.

Myrrh. This is a reddish-brown brittle substance obtained from the juice of a small tree growing in Arabia and vicinity. It occurs in resinous lumps, has a fragrant odor, and a bitter aromatic taste. It has been used for ages, on account of its fragrant perfume, as an ingredient in incense, perfume, and salve. It acts as a tonic on the mucous membranes and hence is much used in mouth washes to harden and strengthen the gums and is good for sore throat and canker.

Cinchona Bark, or Peruvian Bark, is obtained from a fragrant evergreen tree growing in South America which produces the alkaloid quinine of so much value in medicine. Quinine is an indispensable tonic in the cure of intermittent fevers and debilitating diseases. It is used in medicine principally in the form of the sulphate. And the bark itself is much less used than formerly. The pulverized bark has valuable tonic and astringent properties.

Iris or Orris Root. - This substance is a pulverized root of the common species of lily known as the flower de luce which is cultivated in the neighborhood of Florence for this substance. It is particularly valuable for its violet-scented perfume.

Coral. This substance is a carbonate of lime obtained by grinding up the hard skeleton of the coral polyp which produces the Coral Islands. In ground form it has a quality similar to chalk, but as an ingredient for tooth powder is valued principally for its color, Other Ingredients. In addition to the standard recipes for dentifrices given in the following tables, a number of simple remedies may be mentioned which are always at hand. Salt water in strong solution is a useful mouth wash, and dry salt may also be applied by means of a brush to cleanse the teeth.

Borax is also useful and tends to remove the smell of tobacco and other unpleasant odors from the breath. Dissolve 2 to 4 ounces of borax in a pint of hot water and flavor, if convenient, with half a teaspoonful of tincture of myrrh or spirits of camphor.

Castile Soap, or other neutral hard white soap, is good for the teeth. It may be applied by rubbing the cake of soap with a wet toothbrush, which nay afterwards be dipped into a scented tooth powder to cover the slightly unpleasant taste. But the taste of castile soap is not objectionable to those who have become accustomed to it. To Whiten the Teeth. --Salt combined with peroxide of hydrogen is a powerful bleach. Apply by wetting the brush with the pure peroxide and sprinkle with dry salt, but do not use this oftener than is necessary.