Page 526 - My FlipBook

250 THE TECHNICAl, PROCEDr^RES IN FILLING TEETH.

a moderately close roll. The roll is usually made by rolling
the sheet of gold in a napkin. For this purpose the sheet, or
division of a sheet, is laid on a smooth napkin and the napkin
folded over it. The part folded over the gold is then pulled
over it in such a way as to roll up the sheet into a loose roll. By
repeating the motion, the roll is made as much tighter as may
be desired. It usually requires a number of efforts to do this
well, but after a little experience it is done easily, quickly, and
very smootlily. These rolls are usually cut into short lengths
that are convenient to place in the cavity.
A very good and convenient form of the roll, usually called
the rope, is made by crumpling the sheet, or a part of a sheet,
together into a rather rough rope and then twisting it closer,
being careful to have the size fairly even through its length.
This rope may then be cut into suitable lengths for introduction
into the cavity.
Cylinders for the ordinary use in filling are made by first
folding the sheet, or division of the sheet desired, into a ribbon
to the width corresponding to the length of cylinder desired.
This is then rolled on a three- or four-sided broach into a cylinder.
These may be made of any size. Very nicely prepared cylinders
of this form are always to be had ready prepared from the supply
houses. They are better made than the dentist can usually do
them, and are to be preferred if this form of gold is used. For
use as non-cohesive gold on the gingival walls of cavities in the
bicuspids and molars, larger cylinders are usually needed. These
may be made of anj^ size, as described above. The flat cylinder,
so-called, or mat, is made by rolling the folded gold on a flat
instrument. A larger round instrimient may be used and the
cylinder flattened after rolling.
My personal preference as to form of preparation for intro-
duction into the cavity has been the block, which I have taught
my assistant to make for me. Sheets of No. 4 gold are cut into
four, eight, sixteen and thirty-two pieces. Each of these is
crumpled together in the fingers (chamois skin finger-tips are
used unless the hands are very dry) and formed into a very
loose ball. This is then caught between the blades of a pair
of light flat-nose spring pliers and squared up into a block.
Some of these are pressed loosely, others more closely, depend-
ing upon their particular use. It does not seem practicable to
form these blocks well by machinery. If they are used, they must
be formed in the office. There is no other form in which gold can
be used with so much certainty and so rapidly as in this block