Page 273 - My FlipBook

CHAPTER XL.

EXTRACTION OF TEMPORARY TEETH.
The extraction of temporary teeth at the proper time and under
normal conditions is not a difficult operation, owing to the amount
of physiological resorption of both alveolar process and roots of the
teeth.
The Most Important Thing- Connected With Their Extraction is
an accurate knowledge of the order in which nature proposes to re-
I>lace them with the permanent set.
Results From a Disregard of This Order. The premature or
tardy extraction of temporary teeth has more to do with irregular
and unsightly permanent teeth than any other one cause. There-
fore it is well to make a careful study of the order in which the tem-
porary set is replaced.
Time of Eruption of the First Permanent Molar. The first molar
teeth make their appearance at between five and six years of age.
They are generally supposed by the laity to be deciduous and are
frequently allowed to decay beyond remedy before the mistake is
discovered. They are then extracted without much thought, either
through necessity or from being mistaken for temporary teeth by
the physician on account of the youth of the patient. The parents
are wonderfully surprised to find such enormous roots on what they
believe to be a temporary tooth.
Duty of Dentist in This Matter. The practitioner of dentistry
has a very important duty to perform in insisting upon the reten-
tion of this tooth ; for through its loss a decided derangement of the
permanent set results and lack of proper development of the jaw is
encouraged.
First Permanent Tooth to Erupt. Fig. 142 is a side view of
child's jaw at about the sixth year. No. 1 in the top row is the
f.rst molar, and is a part of the permanent set, the second and third
molars coming in after the temporary set has been entirely replaced
by permanent teeth.
Reasons for a Permanent Tooth at This Time. Nature in giving
us this permanent tooth at this particular time and located at this
particular place, seems to desire to put in a permanent fixture as
a dividing line in the jaw between the teeth which are to be replaced,
and those which are not. as shown by line A-A.
Evil Effects of Early Extraction. // hy Proper Extraction and
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