RETARDATION OF DENTAL CARIES IN OUT-PATIENTS OF A DENTAL INFIRMARY: PRELIMINARY STUDY

In the past few years, several reports have been made of the arrest of caries through dietary changes in various children's institutions in this country and in England. The strictly controlled conditions under which these studies have been conducted have caused the profession as a whole to be skeptical as to the feasibility of a similar project in the dentist's private practice, in which rigid regulation cannot be maintained. The preliminary findings of a recent survey carried on at Forsyth Dental Infirmary indicate that results similar to those reported from institutional studies may be secured by the practitioner who has a working knowledge of nutrition. The case histories selected for this study were those of patients who had reported to the clinic conducted by the department of nutrition of the infirmary during an eight week period chosen at random. This period extended from Feb. 1 to March 26, 1932. Cases