Page 8 - TheOperatorfortheTeeth

irreparable , there is still some help for it ; the natural want may be supplied artificially, and herein Art imitates nature so nicely : that when the Succedaneous Teeth ( if I may so speak ) are well set in, they cannot be distinguished from the Natural ones ; (neither in colour firmness nor proportion ) but by them that know of it: being thus exactly fitted to their place, they will keep the next to them, and by consequence all the rest of that jaw abundantly firmer and stronger then they would otherwise be. The Advantages that may be attributed to the Artificial teeth are many ; as that they keep the others fast , as we said just now , that they are of a great Ornament , and help Pronounciation extremely, etc, But all that is with a proviso that they be well made, and according to the best Art ; for otherwise they might prove quite contrary. Besides this Artificial way of Repairing the loss of Teeth, there is another that may be called Natural : which is done by takeing out the rotten Teeth or Stumps, and putting in their places some found ones , drawn immediately after out of some poor Body's head : which thing ( tho' difficult ) I know to be feasible enough, not only by my own Reason that tells me so, but by experience it self, as ( to say no more at present ) may be instanced in the case of a certain Lady , who thinking to have two Teeth growing one on the top of another, came one day to my Master to have one of them drawn: my Master told her that they were not two distinct teeth , but only a double one; but the Lady being not satisfied with this, desired him to take out the Tooth , she had told him of, let it be what it would : the Tooth being drawn out , and proving as my Master had said, it was quickly set again into the jaw ; and with the use of some convenient and proper remedies, became in few weeks to be as firm again as any of the rest. And yet although the event of this Particular, had not proved so prosperous as it did ; its ill success would not destroy in me the profitability of such a Transplanting , or inoculation of Teeth: ( if I may be permitted to use such Terms ) that was not the only motive I had to believe it ; and I have not inserted the Story of it here as an Argument to prove invincibly what I say ; but only as a proper Example to render probable to others, what I know to be true : However I do not like that method of drawing Teeth out of some Folks heads, to put them into others , both for its being too inhumane, and attended with too many Difficulties ; and then neither could this be called the Restauration of Teeth, since the reparation of one, is the ruin of another : it is only robbing of Peter to pay Paul ; But if instead of humane Teeth , there is use made of those of some Brutes; as Dogs, Sheep, etc. In such case I do not only approve of it as lawful and facile, but do also esteem it as very profitable, and advantageous: only care is to be had , that the thing be undertaken, and carried on by one that at least knows something of anatomy: and has a right sense of the thing to be done : [7]