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If the fracture should extend into the cavity, the membrane
will be immediately exposed, and inflammation will follow.
In this case, the treatment must be regulated by the age, and
peculiar circumstances of the patient. If the accident
should have happened to a youth under fifteen or sixteen
years of age, it would be better to extract the tooth, because
the teeth on each side, will gradually approach each other,
so that when he is arrived at maturity the loss may never be
observed.
It is to be understood, that I am speaking of accidents oc-
curring to the permanent teeth ; blows received by children
under five or six years of age, can only injure the temporary
teeth. Sometimes, by accidents, one or more of these are
beaten out ; this never fails to produce alarm in the minds
of the parents ; but, as in a short time a removal of these
teeth must have been effected by nature, or performed by
art, it cannot be considered as a permanent injury.
If the case be neglected for some time, the inflammation
extends to the fang and socket, and produces a considerable
gum-boil, which can only be cured by the extraction of the
tooth.
When an accident of this kind occurs to a person more
advanced in years, the loss is very considerable, as the ap-
pearance of the mouth, and also the speech becomes there*
by much affected.
In Plate III, fig, 9, is a representation of two central in-
cisors, which were broken by a fall. Fig. 10, is the poste-
rior view of these teeth, the fracture of which will be seen
extending into the cavity.
In an accident of this kind affecting either one or both
teeth, if the person should apply for assistance, immediately
after the accident, and before any inflammation has super-
vened, I should recommend that the tooth or teeth be ex-