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side. This mode is preferable to the use of ligatures,
inasmuch that the
flat surface of the clasps does not cut
or injure the teeth to which they are attached, and they
may be taken out at pleasure.
But the inconvenience aris-
ing from them is, that they
in some degree pull down the
all cases. And
other teeth, and they cannot be used in
if only
one, two, or three teeth are inserted, as
for in-
stance the front incisores, they are apt to be exposed to view.
As the clasp must puss nearly around the tooth, by their
acting almost vertically upon the teeth they support, those
which they clasp, they ?ire apt in many cases to pull down.
Yet this is prevented considerably by the ingenuity of the ope-
rator. They are probably in every point of view, much better
than ligatures.
Clasps are made of silver and ofgold. In my
observations upon the substances proper for plugging the teeth,
I then discussed the merits of the different metals, and gave
a decided preference to g »ld for any purpose, when we wish
to have the metal retained in the mouth. I prefer gold for
clasps, plates, springs, &c. much before any other substance, if
we except platina, which is not at this time much used,
al-
though a highly proper substance for dental purposes.

Of Plates, Springs, and Clasps, for fastening Artificial
Teeth.

The third mode of fastening artificial teeth, and which I
prefer to any other I have yet noticed, is with plates, springs,
and clasps, which I will now describe. Having obtained
the size of the vacuity in the circle of teeth, made by the
lost ones, we cut a plate of gold, rolled to the thickness of a
wafer, to the size of the vacuity ; we then solder this plate
upon a spring of gold, which is bent so as to completely fit
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