Page 406 - My FlipBook
P. 406
:
402
during many months to make every application, and adopt
every measure, which the most experienced medical practi-
tioners could suggest, but in vain. His protracted sufferings
brought on a low fever, accompanied by frequent delirium.
Efforts were again and again made at extraction ; but at the
first touch of an instrument, the patient was always seized
with convulsions, and the operation could not be effected.
Having thus lingered on for six months, the tooth was fortu-
nately extracted during a period of insensibility, the result
of intense suffering : but, although the expected local relief
was thus obtained, several months elapsed before he regained
his former health and vigour. The tooth was examined after
extraction, when it appeared that very trifling portions of
nerve had been destroyed ; that one fang contained a large
and vigorous nerve, sending off five branches at its point
the other fang a large nerve equally unaltered, sending off
six branches around its point."
All these modes of destroying the nerve occasion great
pain to the patient, in most cases ; and what is still more ob-
jectionable, by destroying the nerve, the rest of the vitality of
the crown and body of the tooth is soon lost, and, at any rate,
these parts change their colour, and often incline to produce a
diseased state of the gums and remaining teeth ; although bad
consequences may arise to the patient from this cause, still,
in some cases, from the desire of the patient, or our own
inclination, we may do it in preference to extracting the
tooth.* After destroying the nerve we should immediately
plug the tooth and leave it to nature. It should be our ob-
ject, in all praticable cases, to treat the nerve in such a man-
ner as to preserve its vitality, and that of the tooth, and at
the same time to plug the tooth, so as to preserve its vitality
*See Case, Part III.
402
during many months to make every application, and adopt
every measure, which the most experienced medical practi-
tioners could suggest, but in vain. His protracted sufferings
brought on a low fever, accompanied by frequent delirium.
Efforts were again and again made at extraction ; but at the
first touch of an instrument, the patient was always seized
with convulsions, and the operation could not be effected.
Having thus lingered on for six months, the tooth was fortu-
nately extracted during a period of insensibility, the result
of intense suffering : but, although the expected local relief
was thus obtained, several months elapsed before he regained
his former health and vigour. The tooth was examined after
extraction, when it appeared that very trifling portions of
nerve had been destroyed ; that one fang contained a large
and vigorous nerve, sending off five branches at its point
the other fang a large nerve equally unaltered, sending off
six branches around its point."
All these modes of destroying the nerve occasion great
pain to the patient, in most cases ; and what is still more ob-
jectionable, by destroying the nerve, the rest of the vitality of
the crown and body of the tooth is soon lost, and, at any rate,
these parts change their colour, and often incline to produce a
diseased state of the gums and remaining teeth ; although bad
consequences may arise to the patient from this cause, still,
in some cases, from the desire of the patient, or our own
inclination, we may do it in preference to extracting the
tooth.* After destroying the nerve we should immediately
plug the tooth and leave it to nature. It should be our ob-
ject, in all praticable cases, to treat the nerve in such a man-
ner as to preserve its vitality, and that of the tooth, and at
the same time to plug the tooth, so as to preserve its vitality
*See Case, Part III.
