Page 14 - My FlipBook

While porcelain seems to present hygienic advan-
t Porcdain as a it
Tilling material. means a prophylactic filling, and unless prophylaxis
is practiced by both dentist and patient, many good
filling? will tail. It is essential tliat the patient should keep the mouth
as nearly hygienic as possible, and that the dentist should utilize prophylac-
tic measures during the operations.
The art of filling teeth with porcelain is comparatively new, and it
may be said that it is still in a developmental stage. Porcelain as applied
to the dental art prior to 1885 was practically confined to the manufacture
of teeth, crowns, and rods used as "cavity stoppers," and the construction
of continuous gum dentures. About this time a method of constructing
glass fillings by fusing powdered glass into positive molds of the cavity,
constructed of an investment material, was introduced in Europe. Shortly
afterward inlays were produced in America, bv burnishing matrices
into the cavities and fusing porcelain into them. By the untiring efforts
of a few dentists in various sections of .America and Europe, the subject
of porcelain as a filling material has been kept before the profession.
Too much credit can not be awarded the pioneers of porcelain inlay
work, and we wish to pay our tribute to all those gentlemen, through
whose untiring efforts, and perseverance, it is possible for us to accom-
plish such artistic results. The stimulus engendered by the efforts of
these earnest workers, resulted in the development of this art to a higher
standard and caused others to begin studying the advantages of this
material ; so in 1900 a wave of enthusiasm burst forth from all parts of
the globe, and now the methods of filling teeth with porcelain are familiar
to many dentists. This advancement was made possible, in a measure,
by the increased facilities and improved products furnished by the manu-
facturers.
It is true that the application of porcelain has been indiscriminately
and injudiciously employed. This has resulted from over enthusiasm on
the part of a few, and ignorance of the properties of porcelain and
the principles of inlay work on the part of many.
Porcelain inlays have passed the e.xperimental stage, and their value
as cosmetic fillings is more universally recognized.
The beginner should comprehend that a good porcelain inlay
worker must have a keen observation ; a thorough knowledge of the
principles of inlay work arid of the properties of porcelain ; a mastery of
the technique and a knowledge of the principles of color formation, with
the eye trained to detect the delicate hues of a color. While it is desirable
to have a thorough theoretic knowledge of porcelain inlays, it is impos-
sible, however, to perform operations in this branch of dental art, with-
out proper technical training.
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