Page 439 - My FlipBook

435

i hese united properties in the degree in which they are pos-
ed by the human teeth. If sound good teeth, they are per-
fectly congenial to the remaining teeth and to the gums
; they
rest upon the latter without exciting any irritation in them, or
causing them to be absorbed away. Their colour and form
are nature itself; and if the mouth is in order, if kept clean,
they retain their colour and form unchanged, either by absor-
bing the saliva of the mouth, or by decay, for many years.
There is a considerable difference in the quality of the nat-
ural teeth which the dentist is able to procure ; consequently
there will be a difference in the length of time which they
last in the mouth, depending on the quality of the tooth,
and the health of the mouth. I have known artificial natu-
ral teeth, which had been worn in a tolerably healthy mouth
for eighteen years, with but a slight change of colour, and
which from perfect correspondence with the other teeth,
would elude the closest scrutiny of the dentist himself in de-
tecting it. No other substance with which we are at pres-
ent acquainted, possesses these united properties in the some
degree, and as far as I have been able to learn, the natural
artificial teeth at present are preferred to any others, as a
general principle, both in Europe and this country. But as
we are not able, in all cases, to procure natural teeth, and as
thorc are persons who are not able to pay the high price for
them, which their scarcity and value demand, other sub-
stances are used, some of which approximate in value con-
siderably to the natural teeth.
The second material we propose to notice is,

The Animal Teeth.

I wish mv reader will bear in mind those united proper-
ties which I have before mentioned as being desirable, and in