Page 195 - My FlipBook
P. 195
;
193
When the teeth meet in the manner above described, they
all act upon each other, and the jaw has a much more exten-
sive lateral motion. This occasions a greater friction in mas-
tication, by which the teeth gradually wear away a part of
In some persons they become worn down
each other.
equally, all round the mouth, whilst in others, who have ac-
quired a habit of masticating their food on one side only, the
teeth which have been in constant use are worn down, the
others remaining quite perfect. This same circumstance also
happens, if persons, by reason of caries, have lost several
teeth in the early part of life, those which have remained
have become very much worn away. I have seen a gentle-
man, whose teeth were so much worn down, as to have the
whole of the crowns removed, leaving only the fangs in the
jaws, even with the edges of the gums.
It is not unfrequent for teeth, in this state, to become ten-
der ; the application of cold or acids excites considerable pain,
but this generally soon subsides ; for during the time that the
teeth are wearing away by their action on each other, a process
goes on in the cavity, by which their sensibility is destroyed
the vessels take on a new action, and deposit ossific matter,
until the whole cavity is completely obliterated. This cir-
cumstance also happens very frequently in the teeth of old
people, which accounts for their not being so liable to the
tooth-ache.
SECTION VI.
OP FRACTURES OF THE TEETH #
The teeth are liable to be fractured by blows, which may
be inflicted either by accidents, or from malicious intentions.
* Natural History and Diseases of the Human Teeth, by J. Fox, pages
58 to 65, London, 1814.
25
193
When the teeth meet in the manner above described, they
all act upon each other, and the jaw has a much more exten-
sive lateral motion. This occasions a greater friction in mas-
tication, by which the teeth gradually wear away a part of
In some persons they become worn down
each other.
equally, all round the mouth, whilst in others, who have ac-
quired a habit of masticating their food on one side only, the
teeth which have been in constant use are worn down, the
others remaining quite perfect. This same circumstance also
happens, if persons, by reason of caries, have lost several
teeth in the early part of life, those which have remained
have become very much worn away. I have seen a gentle-
man, whose teeth were so much worn down, as to have the
whole of the crowns removed, leaving only the fangs in the
jaws, even with the edges of the gums.
It is not unfrequent for teeth, in this state, to become ten-
der ; the application of cold or acids excites considerable pain,
but this generally soon subsides ; for during the time that the
teeth are wearing away by their action on each other, a process
goes on in the cavity, by which their sensibility is destroyed
the vessels take on a new action, and deposit ossific matter,
until the whole cavity is completely obliterated. This cir-
cumstance also happens very frequently in the teeth of old
people, which accounts for their not being so liable to the
tooth-ache.
SECTION VI.
OP FRACTURES OF THE TEETH #
The teeth are liable to be fractured by blows, which may
be inflicted either by accidents, or from malicious intentions.
* Natural History and Diseases of the Human Teeth, by J. Fox, pages
58 to 65, London, 1814.
25
