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vented from accumulating by the judicious use of suitable
brushes, tooth-picks, and dentifrices. During sleep a viscid
mucus is deposited around the teeth, and if not removed in
the morning, or by mastication, is apt to leave a considera-
ble quantity of tartar. The deposition of tartar in the sal-
iva is an unavoidable circumstance, but its accumulation can
be prevented, and thereby all the pernicious consequences
resulting from its presence will be obviated.

Of the Instruments required in the Performance of this Ope-
ration.

The instruments usually employed in this operation, are
made of steel, with fine sharp edges, and these edges are usu-
ally allowed to become dull, so that they will not cut the
enamel of the teeth. Their cutting ends are usually bent
into different shapes, some like very small chisels, others
spear-pointed, or pyramidal-shaped ; others, thin and flat, so
as to be passed between the teeth, and remove all the tartar
deposited on them ; others are made to scrape the flat sur-
faces of the teeth. It is impossible to give a written descrip-
tion of these instruments, so as to be intelligible to the reader.
They are generally known and put in sets. The surgeon-
dentist should be provided with a sufficient number and va-
riety of these instruments to be able to remove all foreign
matter from the teeth in every possible place of deposit, for
if he is not able to do so, his operations will be imperfect,
and in consequence of being imperfectly done, will be of
more injury to the patient than benefit.