Page 33 - Craventreatiseonpyorrh00crav

PYORRHOEA ALVKOLAKIS. 23 treated and completely cured, the other members remaining uncured—untouched—the cured teeth will remain free from the disease indefinitely. After a cure has been affected in any cases, and the " pock- ets " closed, there is no notable tendency to a recurrence of the disease. Although an untreated " pocket " always contains pus, the latter may not be exhibited by pressure, because in some deeper cases the external plate of jurocess remains intact, and, although much thinned by resorptive or erosive action, still remains strong enough to resist and hold against ordinary finger pressure ; therefore the symptom of oozing or expressible pus is not always observed. In such cases the pus is revealed by probing. THE BOXY SEPT.E. The destruction of alveolar process, due to periostitis, in pyorrhoea alveolaris—is peculiar to the bony septse in which often the loss is very extensive. The festoons of gum immediately overlying the " pockets " are always quite spongy, and the first reliable indication of recovery of health to the part is a marked contraction of the spongy gum ; this contraction is incident to forming eschar, and must bring the gum well to the bone, and the extent of shrinkage therefore will be in proportion to the amount of bone that has been lost. Often this shrinkage of gum is so extensive as to alarm the patient and annoy the operator, but as it is essential to reliable indication of cure it should be