Life — February 8, 1929 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis: "Two Sets or Three?" - Metropolitan Life Insurance Advertisement This is primarily a **corporate advertisement**, not satire. The "Two Sets or Three?" headline refers to baby teeth versus permanent teeth—a dental health educational piece dressed as editorial content. The accompanying illustration shows a mother with an infant, establishing the domestic/maternal angle. The text educates readers about child dentistry: baby teeth arrive around six months; permanent molars emerge around age six. The article cites a physician's statement that "bad teeth are the most common cause of physical breakdown," reflecting early-20th-century health anxieties. It emphasizes nutrition and preventive dentistry while promoting Metropolitan Life Insurance's approach to wellness. This represents **advertorial content**—marketing disguised as helpful information—a common Life magazine practice of its era.