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Cbc Principles and Practice of filling Ccetb with Porcelain.

Chapter T.
Porcelain in Operative Dentistry.

In endeavoring to present "The Principles of Filling Teeth with
Porcelain," the author realizes that many methods of performing opera-
tions are transient. The desire to give to our patients the best at our
command necessitates changes, so the practice of to-day may be improved
to-morrow. Operations are dependent, in a measure, upon the individu-
ality of the operator, and that method which may be most successful with
one dentist may be inadequate with others.
Before proceeding further, the author wishes to acknowledge the
work of all who have earnestly labored for the development of porcelain
art in dentistrv. The many suggestions received from his confreres have
been invaluable to him, and it is with their assistance that he attempts
this work. He claims no originality, but desires to give a compilation of
that which, seems to be best from the writings of many of the ablest
porcelain workers.
The problem of aborting or abating caries of the teeth, is one that
always has, and always will confront the dentist ; and until we are able
to prevent dental caries, our principal work will be to check it. In order
that caries may be abated to the greatest possible extent, it is necessary
that the affected portion of the tooth be removed and replaced with a
substitute. There has been a desire on the part of many to find a sub-
stitute material that w'ould satisfy the esthetic sense by simulating the
natural tooth, while also affording permanency of the operation. That
desire has found frequent expression and experiments have been made
with a number of materials ; the two that have received the most
attention have been cement and porcelain. As the former has so far
failed to fulfill more requirements than the latter, our efforts are best
directed in perfecting the methods of filling teeth with porcelain.