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by the weight of the other teeth ; and the ligatures, instead
of pulling them out, cut them off. At the time when her
last set of artificial teeth were inserted, she had lost all of
her upper teeth except the right canine tooth. The left ca-
nine tooth had been cut off by the ligatures of the set pre-
ceding these last, and to the stump of this tooth a silver
screw was fastened, and to this screw and the right canine
tooth the last set of artificials was fastened by ligatures.
When she called on me, the ligature had cut off the right ca-
nine tooth, and the set dropped out. This is a brief history
of objections to ligatures, and of their bad effects. We are
obliged to carry them up close to the gum where the enamel
of the tooth becomes attenuated ; and, in almost every in-
stance, they cut upon, and through the enamel, inducing pain
in the tooth, and frequently exposing the nerve, if the tooth
does not soon fall out. We can easily conceive how much
this effect is increased when porcelain teeth are inserted in
this manner, on account of their being heavier than other
teeth. 1 think the objections to ligatures and the bad con-
sequences resulting from their use, are sufficient reasons to
forbid their being used in any case whatever to fasten artifi-
cial teeth to the upper living teeth. I could dwell much lon-
ger upon this subject, but I think I have said enough to in-
duce the judicious practitioner, as a general rule, never to
use ligatures to fasten artificial teeth.
3
l
Of Clasps for Fastening Artificial Teeth.

This mode of fastening artificial teeth is often adopted.
The tooth, or, if more than one, they are united so as to form
an entire block, which are placed in the mouth so as to perfect-
ly fill the space of the lost teeth, and having a clasp on each side,
which are carried around the two teeth adjoining, one on each