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90 THE TECHNICAL PROCEDUEES IN FILLING TEETH.

on the bicuspids are not permissible at all except in cases where
the molar teeth are missing ; and even then, they are of doubtful
usefulness. Any of those found in the market are so unsteady
as to cause the patient much annoyance and often considerable
pain. If our dealers would give us a bicuspid clamp with a
forked foot on the buccal and a stiff enough bow to hold it firmly
when placed, it would occasionally be very useful.
In buccal and labial cavities, that approach near to, or pass
beyond, the gingival line, the special clamp. Figure 90, should be
used on the molars, and the Hatch clamp, Figures 95, 96, on the
bicuspids and front teeth. Except in the most difficult cases, the
special clamp will answer the purpose if the rubber, after being
placed on the tooth, is drawn well away from the buccal side and
the clamp applied, or if the clamp is put on first and the rubber
This latter plan is especially serviceable when
passed over it.
the decay is such as to require especial accuracy in the adjust-
ment of the clamp. When the Hatch clamp is applied to the
front teeth with labial cavities, the rubber must be drawn well
away from the labial surface and the points placed in position
and the set-screw made tight, as in Figures 97, 98, 99. Then the
rubber may be allowed to draw tightly around it, and is fairly
certain to exclude moisture perfectly. For this puipose, the
hole in the rubber should be cut a little larger than usual, and a
little to the labial, or buccal, of the line of holes used for the
adjoining teeth. See Figure 63.
When the Hatch clamp is to be used on any of the incisors or
cuspids, in order to expose the gingival margin of a labial cavity
that is close to the gingival line, no ligature should be tied on the
tooth. No effort should ever be made to expose the gingival
margin of such cavities by use of the ligature, for the reason that
the cavity margin on the labial surface of the tooth is so gener-
ally further rootwise than the attachment of the gum tissue
on the proximal surfaces of these teeth. This is made so by the
curve of the gingival line as it passes around the incisors and
cuspids, as has been explained. Therefore, such use of the liga-
ture causes unnecessary pain and is apt to cause permanent
injury by tearing the gum tissue away from the tooth on its
proximal sides.
In placing the Hatch clamp, the left side behind position,
as shown in Figures 97, 98, is best on the lower teeth of the right
side. For other positions, the right side behind is best. In any
case, the clamp is to be adjusted and tried to see that it is open
just sufficiently to be slipped in place and no more, so that a turn