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FILLING WITH GOLD. 113

judgment to always have sufficient gold for a good finish, and
not have a wasteful surplus.

The Gingival Wall in Proximate Cavities.

The management of the gingival wall in proximate cavities,
especially in the bicuspids and molars, has always been the great
stumbling-block in filling operations. It is confessedly the most
difficult point at which to secure perfect adaptation of gold, or,
indeed, any other filling material. In part, this difficulty has
been from imperfect preparation of this wall, but the real diffi-
culty in securing adaptation lies in the fact that the
tendency is to apply the condensing force in a line per-
pendicular to the plane of that wall. To make perfect
adaptation it is necessary that the angle of force be inclined as
much as twelve centigrades to the plane of the wall.
In mesial cavities in bicuspids and molars this is easily
accomplished by using the contra-angled pluggers which are
made for this especial purpose. These instruments will reach
over the proximating tooth and give the correct angle of force.
The filling is begun in the convenience points, and these are con-
nected along the axio-gingival angle, as has been described.
Then the building proceeds about equally upon the axial wall
and the gingival wall, creeping slowly over the gingival wall until
its cavo-surface angle is reached and has been built over; always
keeping a thick margin of gold to build against while covering
the wall and cavo-surface angle. During this building the plane
of the surface of gold being built should be inclined about twelve
centigrades toward the long axis of the tooth, one margin of this
plane being upon the gingival wall, and the opposite margin
against the axial wall in a direction toward the occlusal surface
in the central fossa, if a molar, and a similar direction if a
bicuspid.
When the gingival wall and its cavo-surface angle has been
fully covered, then the building may be more rapid in the prox-
imate portion, and the plane of the gold be brought parallel with
the horizontal plane of the tooth. The mesial portion of the
filling is then extended to the mesial to make the contact with
the proximating tooth. The rest of the filling is done according
to rules previously given.
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