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CHAPTER XXII.
FINISHING GOLD FILLINGS.

Secondary Consideration. When a gold filling has been built to
its full size, the entire surface should be gone over with a plugger
point of moderate size. The point should be stepped so as to cover
every accessible part of the filling.
A light mallet with a hard surface should be used. A two ounce
steel-faced mallet is preferred.
Burnishing". All accessible parts of the surface should then be
thoroughh^ burnished with a steel burnisher. The egg-shaped bur-
nisher is of most universal use as it will reach most positions.
If the filling is a proximal filling of Classes Two, Three or Four,
a thin steel hand matrix should be forced between the filling and the
proximating tooth to burnish the contact point and to better con-
dense and harden the filling at this place. This is done by swinging
the handle back and forth describing the part of a circle, till there
is more or less freedom of movement of the burnisher.
Following This Secondary Condensation the process of smoothing
the surface with abrasives begins. The first efforts should be to find
cavity outline, second, to correct contour in localities where an ex-
cess has been built and third, to polish the contact point.
This is best accomplished by the use of small carborundum stones
on occlusal surfaces, disks on buccal, lingual and labial contours,
and narrow coarse strips in the proximal, gingivally from contact
point assisted by the use of file cut burnishers.
Attention should first be given to all parts of the filling except
contact point which, in all proximal fillings should be the last place
to receive finish.
The Use of the Saw in the proximal space in the finishing of the
filling cannot be too strongly condemned. In the first place no cut-
ting instrument, or coarse abradent, as strips or disks, should be
made to pass contact point except where there has been ample pre-
liminary separation and the return of the teeth to position is relied
upon to close the resultant space. Again there is no excuse for build-
ing an excess of contour sufficient to engage the bite of a saw blade.
The Excess at the Gingival should be slight, and it, with the ex-
cess fullness in the embrasures, should be filed away with the files,
or whittled off with the burnishing knife, the edge of which should be
keen. The files should be carried through the embrasures as far to-
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