DENTIFRICES, MOUTH-WATERS, ETC.

For cleansing and preserving the teeth and gums, soaps, powders, and tinctures are used, and for removing foul breath, mouth-waters.

Great care is required in compounding dentifrices and mouth-waters, and special attention must be paid to the correct selection of the material. The substances used must be chemically pure, and no caustic or sharp or grating materials, such as pumice, sand, ossa sepiÆ, etc., should be employed, they destroying the enamel of the teeth.

The coloring substances used to give the dentifrices and mouth-waters a pleasing appearance should under no condition be injurious or poisonous, such as, for instance, brilliant rosa, cinnabar, aniline, chrome yellow, picric acid, etc. The perfumes have also to be carefully selected, and all repugnant volatile oils and tinctures, such as bitter-almond oil, sandal-wood oil, musk tincture, etc., should be avoided. On the other hand, peppermint oil forms the principal constituent of the perfume for most dentifrices and mouth-waters, this preference being not only due to its agreeable odor, but chiefly to its pleasant, refreshing, and stimulating action upon our organs.

In accordance with recent medical directions and opinions soap is again employed, and justly so, for the better cleansing of the teeth, whilst formerly it was generally considered injurious. However, though soap is innocuous to the teeth, it should be used in very limited quantities, since its introduction into the mouth is repugnant to many persons, producing in many cases vomiting. The quality of the soap must also be taken into consideration, and only the best neutral soap in the form of a powder, such as is used for fine milled soaps, should be employed.

The alcohol used for the tooth and mouth-waters—more correctly tinctures—should be perfectly free from fusel oil, and of 95 to 96 per cent. strength. The best qualities of volatile oils should be taken, and the tinctures prepared with the greatest care.

The dentifrices for preventing caries, among which the thymol preparations are the most prominent, deserve special attention. The most celebrated physicians have long since recognized thymol as an antiseptic, it being much used in hospitals, and is frequently preferred to carbolic acid. For this reason thymol preparations should be used for preserving the teeth. They render good service, especially in the case of hollow teeth, as they remove the foul odor and protect the sound teeth from becoming hollow. For cleansing artificial teeth thymol tooth-water can be especially recommended. Great care should, therefore, be exercised in the preparation of these thymol dentifrices. On the other hand, according to medical opinions, dentifrices containing salicylic acid cannot be recommended, the acid, it is claimed, being very injurious to the enamel of the teeth.

Glycerin, which occurs in several receipts for dentifrices and mouth-waters, fulfills a double object; on the one hand, its action upon the teeth and mouth is beneficial, and, on the other, it covers the naturally bitter taste of many substances contained in the preparations, and thus makes them more agreeable to use.

The receipts for dentifrices and mouth-waters here given have been thoroughly tested, and can be highly recommended.

Tooth and mouth waters. Thymol tooth-water.—Alcohol of best quality 5 quarts, chemically pure glycerin of 28° B. 17½ ozs., crystallized thymol 1 oz., white thyme oil and best peppermint oil each 1¼ ozs., tinctures of arnica and guaiacum each 1¾ ozs., cochineal tincture, for coloring, 2¾ to 3½ ozs.

Bring all the ingredients into a glass balloon, shake thoroughly, and protect the liquid from sunlight.

The cochineal tincture is prepared from 14 ozs. of cochineal and 1 quart of alcohol of best quality, the arnica tincture from 2 lbs. of arnica root and 2½ quarts of alcohol of best quality, and the guaiacum tincture from 5¼ ozs. of guaiacum-wood and 1 quart of alcohol of best quality.

Eau dentifrice Botot.—Alcohol of best quality 5 quarts, chemically pure glycerin of 28° B. 17¾ ozs., peppermint oil 2 ozs., clove oil 11 drachms, anise-seed oil 5 drachms, ratany tincture and vanilla tincture each 5¼ ozs., Peruvian bark tincture 1¾ ozs., sanders-wood tincture, as coloring matter, 3½ ozs. Proceed as above.

The sanders-wood tincture is prepared by macerating 5¼ ozs. of red sanders wood with 1 quart of alcohol.

Eau dentifrice Orientale.—Alcohol of best quality 5 quarts, peppermint oil and rose-geranium oil each 1¼ ozs., clove oil 11¼ drachms, extrait rose and ratany tincture each 3½ ozs., vanilla tincture 1¾ ozs. Proceed as above and color rose color with corallin tincture.

The ratany tincture is prepared from 17½ ozs. of ratany root and 1 quart alcohol, and the corallin tincture from 17½ ozs. of corallin and 1 quart alcohol.

Violet mouth-water.—Tincture of benzoin 7 parts, tincture of ratany 30, tincture of myrrh 60, rose water 250, tincture of orris root 500, alcohol 250.

Antiseptic gargle.—The following solution is recommended for sterilizing the mouth after the teeth have been cleansed with a tooth-brush and soap: Thymol 3½ grains, benzoic acid 45, tincture of eucalyptus 180, water 1½ pints.

Odontine.—Exhaust 3 ozs. of pulverized myrrh with a mixture of 25 ozs. of alcohol and 8 ozs. of water. Then dissolve 1½ ozs. of Castile soap shavings in a mixture of 25 ozs. of alcohol and 8 ozs. of water, and color wine-red with alkannin. Then add lemon oil 30 drops, peppermint oil 30 drops, wintergreen oil 10 drops, star-anise oil 30 drops, and finally 4 ozs. of glycerin. After allowing the whole to stand in a cool place for one or two weeks, filter, mix the filtrate with 10 drachms of acetic ether, and fill in bottles.

Sozodont.—White Castile soap ½ oz., oil of peppermint 5 drops, oil of wintergreen 12 drops, glycerin ½ oz., water 1 oz., alcohol 2 ozs., cochineal tincture sufficient to color.

Eau de Botot (improved).—Cloves, star-anise, and soap bark, each 2½ drachms, cochineal 1½ drachms. Pulverize and percolate with the following mixture: Alcohol 20 ozs., rose water 4 ozs. To the percolate add: Cream of tartar 45 grains, oil of peppermint 1½ drachms. Filter.

Quinine tooth-water.—Alcohol of best quality 5 quarts, peppermint oil 1 oz., clove oil ½ oz., Ceylon cinnamon oil 2¾ drachms, Peruvian bark-tincture 8¾ ozs., guaiacum-tincture 3½ ozs., myrrh tincture 1.75 ozs., glycerine of 28° B. 17½ ozs. Proceed as above.

The Peruvian bark-tincture is prepared by macerating 8¾ ozs. of Peruvian bark in 1 quart of alcohol of best quality.

Dr. Stahl's tooth-tincture.—Alcohol of best quality 5 quarts, peppermint oil 1¾ ozs., clove oil 5½ drachms, French rose-geranium oil 8¼ drachms, vanilla-tincture 5¼ ozs., guaiacum-tincture 3½ ozs., benzoin tincture 8¾ ozs., henna-tincture, as coloring matter, 8¾ ozs.

Bring all the ingredients into a glass bottle, shake thoroughly and protect the mixture from sunlight. The tincture, when mixed with water, gives an emulsion.

The henna-tincture is obtained by macerating 17½ ozs. of henna-root in 4 quarts of alcohol.

Esprit de menthe.—Alcohol of best quality 5 quarts, peppermint oil 4¼ ozs.

Arnica tooth-tincture.—Alcohol of best quality and arnica-tincture each 1 quart, Peruvian bark-tincture 1 pint, glycerin of 28° B. 5¼ ozs., cochineal tincture, as coloring matter, 1¾ ozs.

Myrrh tooth-tincture.—Alcohol of best quality 1 quart, myrrh tincture 2 quarts, guaiacum-tincture 8¾ ozs.

A few remarks may here be made regarding the use of tooth tinctures. The tinctures should not be used undiluted, they being apt to make tender gums sore, cause pain, and may even produce inflammation. It is best to dilute the tinctures somewhat with water whereby they become milder and more agreeable to the gums. An excellent article for rinsing out the mouth is obtained by pouring a teaspoonful of the tincture into a tumbler of water.

Tooth-Pastes and Tooth-Powders. Tooth-paste or odontine, No. 1.—Carbonate of magnesium 6 lbs., sugar of milk 2 lbs., precipitated carbonate of calcium 4 lbs., alizarin, to color, 1¾ ozs., best soap-powder 7 ozs., powdered gum-arabic 5¼ ozs., sugar 17½ ozs. dissolved in distilled water 2½ quarts, chemically pure glycerin of 28° B. 17½ ozs., peppermint oil 8¾ ozs., clove oil 8¼ drachms.

Pass the magnesia, sugar of milk, carbonate of calcium, alizarin, soap-powder and gum-arabic through a fine sieve and mix intimately; dissolve the sugar in the distilled water and add the glycerin to the solution. Bring the sifted powders into a mortar or other convenient vessel, gradually add the fluid and thoroughly mix with the hands. Then add the perfume, and convert the whole into a solid paste with a wooden pestle. Instead of mixing and working the mass in a mortar, the operation is much more rapidly performed by passing the mixture through the rolls of a soap mill, which must, of course, be thoroughly cleansed for the purpose by washing with water.

Tooth-paste or odontine, No. 2.—Carbonate of magnesium and sugar of milk each 2 lbs., precipitated carbonate of calcium 4 lbs., prepared chalk 10 lbs., sugar 4 lbs. dissolved in water 5 quarts, best soap-powder 2 lbs., alizarin, as coloring matter, 7 ozs., peppermint oil 10½ ozs., clove oil 8¾ ozs.

This paste is prepared in the same manner as No. 1, only the proportion of water has to be taken into consideration. To prevent the mass from becoming too soft, the water should be very gradually added.

Thymol tooth-paste.—Carbonate of magnesium 4 lbs., sugar of milk 2 lbs., pulverized gum-arabic and soap powder each 3½ ozs., carmine nacarat, as coloring matter, 2¾ drachms, and alizarin, as coloring matter, 6¾ drachms, sugar 10½ ozs., dissolved in distilled water 1¾ quarts, peppermint oil 1¼ ozs., white thyme oil 2½ ozs., crystallized thymol 1¼ ozs., arnica tincture 7 ozs. The thyme oil, peppermint oil and arnica tincture are brought into a bottle and the thymol is dissolved in the mixture. By previously converting the thymol to a coarse powder solution takes place quite rapidly. The further manipulation is the same as given for tooth-paste No. 1.

Cherry tooth-paste.—Boil briskly 1 oz. potassium carbonate and 1 oz. of powdered cochineal in a pint of water until reduced to 12 or 13 ozs. When cold, add 1 oz. cream of tartar, ½ oz. alum, 2 ozs. glycerin, and water sufficient to make 16 ozs. of filtered solution. Then add 4 ozs. of honey and set aside a few days to see if fermentation occurs. Carefully mix the liquid with 2 lbs. prepared chalk, 1¾ ozs. orris powder and ¾ ozs. cassia powder.

Non-fermenting cherry tooth-paste.—Fine powdered pumice stone 2 ozs., powdered orris root 2 ozs., powdered myrrh ½ oz., honey 4 ozs., sufficient liquid cochineal to color, oil of cloves ½ drachm, essence of lemon 1½ drachms, rose oil 8 drops. Mix well.

Odontine paste.—French chalk 30 drachms, soap 15, sugar 15, gum-arabic 2, peppermint oil 2, glycerin 8, water 8. Work into a paste.

Thymol tooth-powder.—Sugar of milk and carbonate of magnesium each 2 lbs., precipitated carbonate of calcium 1 lb., best soap-powder 7 ozs., alizarin, as coloring matter, and crystallized thymol, each 1 oz., glycerin of 28° B. 5¼ ozs., arnica tincture 7 ozs., white thyme oil 1½ ozs., peppermint oil 11¼ drachms.

Thoroughly mix—preferably in a capacious enamelled vessel—the powdered and colored ingredients, add the thymol dissolved in the mixture of the volatile oils, arnica tincture and glycerin, rub and uniformly mix the whole with the hands, so that no specks of coloring matter and perfume are perceptible, and then again pass through a fine sieve.

Tooth powder is best kept in well closed tin boxes; boxes of wood or paste-board are not suitable for the purpose, the powder, when kept in them, losing in quality.

The above explanations refer to all the following tooth powders:—

Poudre dentifrice.—Precipitated carbonate of calcium 2 lbs., carbonate of magnesium 1 lb., sugar of milk 1½ lbs., fine soap-powder 5¼ ozs., alizarin, as coloring matter, 5¼ ozs., peppermint oil 2 ozs., clove oil 5½ drachms, Ceylon cinnamon oil 2¾ drachms, rose-geranium oil 5½ drachms, vanilla tincture 1¾ ozs. Proceed as given for thymol tooth-powder.

Violet tooth-powder.—Orris-root powder 3 lbs., carbonate of magnesium 1 lb., sugar of milk 1½ lbs., best soap-powder 5¼ ozs., Portugal oil and peppermint oil each 1 oz., ratany tincture 3½ ozs. Proceed as given for thymol tooth-powder.

Dr. Hufeland's tooth-powder.—Pulverized sanders wood, Peruvian bark, and precipitated carbonate of calcium each 2 lbs., best soap-powder 7 ozs., bergamot oil and Portugal oil each 11 drachms, clove oil and cassia oil each 14 drachms, myrrh tincture 1¾ ozs. Proceed as given for thymol tooth-powder.

White tooth-powder.—Carbonate of magnesium, precipitated carbonate of calcium, and prepared chalk each 1 lb., soap-powder 3½ ozs., peppermint oil 1 oz., clove oil 5½ drachms. Proceed as given for thymol tooth-powder.

Black tooth-powder.—Finely pulverized linden charcoal 2 lbs., precipitated carbonate of calcium 1 lb., best soap-powder 3½ ozs., peppermint oil 1¾ ozs., clove oil 8¼ drachms, guaiacum tincture 3½ ozs. Proceed as given for thymol tooth-powder.

Poudre de corail.—Carbonate of magnesium 1 lb., sugar of milk 7 ozs., prepared chalk 1 lb., best soap-powder 7 ozs., alizarin 3½ ozs., peppermint oil 1¾ ozs., clove oil 5½ drachms, cassia oil 2¾ drachms. Proceed as given for thymol tooth-powder.

Camphor tooth-powder.—Prepared chalk and precipitated carbonate of calcium each 1 lb., best soap-powder 2½ ozs., peppermint oil 5½ drachms, camphor 1 oz. dissolved in the necessary quantity of alcohol of best quality.

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients and pass the mixture through a fine sieve. This tooth-powder should be used only every 5 or 6 days; when too frequently used it affects the nerves.

Opiat liquide pour les dents.—Genuine honey 1½ lbs., sugar syrup 2½ ozs., best wheat flour 7 ozs., round-lake 2 ozs., peppermint oil and clove oil each 11¼ drachms.

Convert the round-lake into a fine powder and pass it through a fine sieve into a capacious porcelain dish. Then intimately mix it with the wheat flour, gradually add the honey and syrup, and after thoroughly working the mass for about ¼ hour, add the volatile oil. Now work the whole thoroughly with the pestle, then cover the dish, and after allowing it to stand quietly for about 36 hours, bring the mass into boxes of glass or tin provided with screw-tops.

Poudre d' Algerine.—Cream of tartar and pulverized red coral each 2 lbs., pulverized burnt alum 1 lb., pulverized sugar of milk 2 lbs., cochineal as coloring matter 3½ ozs.

The pulverized ingredients are brought into an enamelled vessel having a capacity of 12 quarts and thoroughly mixed, so that the cochineal is uniformly distributed in the mass. Now have ready about 3 quarts of nearly boiling water and a thoroughly cleansed soap-stirrer or similar instrument.

When everything is prepared, quickly pour the hot water upon the powder in the enamelled vessel and stir rapidly and thoroughly during the effervescence which immediately takes place. The effervescence gradually ceases and the result will be a beautiful crimson colored mass, the hot water having immediately and completely dissolved the coloring matter of the cochineal. Now, bring the mass into a shallow box lined with clean white paper and place it to dry in an airy room, but do not expose it to the air or sunlight. The next day the mass in the box is thoroughly worked through, this operation being repeated every day until the mass is dry. It is then again powdered, whereby it acquires a rose color, and is then sifted. The powder is perfumed with peppermint oil 1 oz. and clove oil and cassia oil each 5½ ozs., sufficient glycerin to prevent dust, being at the same time rubbed in. With the addition of the glycerin the beautiful crimson color of the powder reappears. This tooth-powder possesses excellent cleansing qualities and can be recommended chiefly to persons having yellow teeth, as well as to smokers whose teeth commence to get black.

Dr. Hufeland's tooth soap.—Best quality of tallow melted without acid 14 lbs., soda lye of 38° B. 6½ lbs., potash lye of 20° B. 1 lb. Further, yellow ochre 1 lb., umber 4½ ozs., and precipitated carbonate of calcium 3 lbs., stirred together with hot water 2 quarts. Peppermint oil 5¼ ozs., clove oil 14 drachms.

The kettle with the tallow strained through a cloth is brought upon the water-bath and the tallow heated to 167° F. The lye heated to about 100° F. is then slowly added to the tallow in the kettle, and, after stirring for about ¼ hour, the mass is allowed to rest quietly, the kettle being lightly covered and only a little steam admitted or fire kept under the kettle, so that saponification does not take place too rapidly.

Saponification will be slowly effected from the sides of the kettle in about one hour, the mass in the kettle rising somewhat. This rising indicates that the process of saponification is going on. The mass is now again stirred, which must be done carefully and not hastily, as otherwise the soap readily becomes spumous. When the soap again lies quietly in the kettle, it will have the appearance of a white prime grain-soap. Now add the coloring substances and the precipitated carbonate of calcium and thoroughly stir, so that the mass acquires a uniform brown color. Then remove the kettle from the water-bath, add the perfumes with constant stirring, bring the finished tooth soap into the frame, lightly cover the latter with the wooden lid and let stand over night. The next day the tooth soap may be cut up into suitable pieces, which are allowed to dry for about 12 hours and then packed in tinfoil, etc.

Tooth-soap.—Castile soap 1 lb., prepared chalk 1 oz., thymol 20 grains, oil of wintergreen 30 drops.

Shave the soap into ribbons, beat it into a paste with a little water, and add first the prepared chalk and lastly the thymol and wintergreen oil dissolved in a little water.

Saponaceous tooth-wash.—White Castile soap 3 ozs., oil of orange peel 10 drops, oil of cinnamon 5 drops, water 4 ozs., alcohol 12 ozs.

Shave the soap into ribbons; melt with the water in a water-bath, adding the alcohol while still warm. Continue the heat if necessary, until solution is effected. When cold, dissolve the oils in the liquid.