Page 210 - My FlipBook

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gic formula. Some of these preparations are often of good
effect ; and if they are, we may continue to diminish the irri-
tability of the affected nerve until we are enabled to com-
plete a perfect cure by plugging the. tooth. Different kinds
of caustics are sometimes made use of to destroy the affected
nerve : in general the practice is a bad one, and yet circum-
stances may arise when we shall choose to cauterise the
nerve rather than to extract the tooth, when our other reme-
dies fail, and after this to plug the tooth. Suitable caustics
will be mentioned in the pharmaceutical part.
It has been proposed never to extract any tooth that has
its nerve affected, but to excise it, cut it off, including the mo-
lar teeth and all. I will, in this place, insert a communica-
tion of this kind, and to this effect, from Mr. Fay, to the
Society of Arts, in London. I give the gentleman's words,
and leave the reader to do as he pleases. He says, " In the
centre of every tooth is a little cavity, in which is expanded
a nervous pulp, forming the principal seat of sensation in that
organ, the nervous twigs pass through the roots of the teeth,
by very minute passages into this cavity, when they are spread
out. The base of this cavity is situated a little above the
level of the neck of the tooth, and it struck me, that when
caries had extended so far as to expose this nervous matter
to the various agencies, from which, in the healthy state of
the parts, it is protected, it would be easy to remove that part
of the tooth containing the cavity, the seat of the pain, and
thus allow the sound roots to remain in their sockets undis-
turbed, to support the adjoining teeth ; as it is a notorious
fact, that entire removal of one tooth, however easily per-
formed, causes the adjoining ones to become prematurely
loose, and ultimately to fall out, in consequence, principally,
of the absorption of the alveolar process. Minutely to de-
scribe how this happens, would occupy too much space, and