Page 183 - My FlipBook

CHAPTER VI.

PRELIMINARY PREPARATION OF THE TEETH—REMOVAL OF
DEPOSITS AND CLEANING OF THE TEETH—WEDGING—
OTHER METHODS OF SECURING SEPARATIONS—EXPOS-
URE OF CERVICAL INIARGINS BY SLOW PRESSURE, ETC.
By Louis Jack, D. D. S.

Cleansing the Teeth.

Before restorative operations are commenced upon the teeth all
deposits of salivary calculus upon them should be removed and they
should be cleansed of the covering of partially inspissated mucus
which even in persons of more than ordinary carefulness is liable to be
found upon them. This film favors the admixture with it of sedi-
mentary matter from food substances and frequently has so much con-
sistence as to oifer considerable resistance to its removal, and it pre-
vents to a degree the contact of the naked brush with the teeth. Its
presence is in every way detrimental to the preservation of the teeth,
since it not only favors the adhesion of starchy matters, but also fur-
nishes, wherever situated in connection with these food products, a
favorable habitat for the development of bacterial forms responsible
for the formation of the acid products that are the active agents of
enamel solution. This deposit is most frequently formed on the inner
and outer surfaces of the posterior teeth, where it invades the inter-
spaces and in some cases covers all surfaces which are not directly sub-
ject to the friction of mastication. It should be thoroughly removed
and all surfaces should then be carefully polished.
The best means to effect this is to polish the ])arts with a mixture
of pulverized puiaiee icith gJycenn. The glycerin binds the particles of
pumice and permits its retention upon the polishing instruments. The
persistence of the deposit is shown by the fact that when the pumice
is applied it is a moment before the polishing implement comes into
actual contact with the enamel. To be suitable for this jnirpose the
pulverized pumice should have been elutriated or passed through a fine
bolting cloth to remove the coarse and irregular particles which if per-
mitted to remain might cause injury to the enamel surface. After the
removal a vitreous surface should be given by quick friction with stan-
181