Page 48 - My FlipBook

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jaw, and of course in a much smaller circle than the tempo-
rary. As I have given an accurate representation of the jaws
of a child about four years old, and the situation and con-
nexion of both sets of teeth, in plate II.—figs. 1 and 2,
very little is required to be said on this subject. In the un-
der jaw, the lateral permanent incisores, hide nearly half the
middle ones, and the lateral incisores and anterior bicus-
pides are so close together, that the cuspidati would not have
near room enough to pass between them.. In the upper jaw
there is a much more confused appearance, and a more
striking contrast with respect to the difference in size of
the lateral incisores rest in part on the
both sets of teeth ;
middle ones, and the sockets of the lateral incisores and an-
terior bicuspides nearly come in contact ; so that the cuspi-
dati are entirely thrown out of the circle.
We have seen also that the pulps and membranes of the
permanent teeth were at first very small, and that the sock-
ets were in proportion ; but as the pulps enlarged and ossifi-
cation advanced on them, the sockets increased likewise.
It is but just therefore to suppose, that as the teeth rise and
appear through the gum, the alveolar processes should accom-
modate themselves to them ; which indeed will presently
appear to be the case. If Mr. Hunter was a practitioner in
this branch even with very little experience, he must have
frequently have observed in children of about six or seven
years of age (if the first teeth had not already fallen), large
distances between the incisores, which at first were quite
close to one another. I have seen hundreds of instances in
which the four permanent incisores appeared irregular, but
in a short space of time became perfectly regular without
any artificial assistance. In a preparation of Dr. Monro's
(which he was kind enough to allow me to take a sketch of).