Page 95 - My FlipBook

CHAPTER III.

DENTAL HISTOLOGY WITH REFERENCE TO OPERATIVE
DENTISTRY.!

By Frederick B. Xoyes, B. A., D. D. S.

The development of our knowledge of the cell has had a most pro-
found effect upon the entire practice of medicine ; in fact, the progress of
modern medicine dates from the studies of cell biology, the germ theory of
disease being only one of the phases of this development. In terms of the
cell theory the functions of the body are but the manifest expression of
the activities of thousands or millions of more or less independent but
correlated centres of activity : if these centres or cells perform their
functions correctly, the functions of the body are normal ; but if they
fail to perform their office, or work abnormally, the functions of the
body are perverted. In the last analysis, then, all physiology is cell
physiology ; all pathology cell pathology. To modern medicine his-
tology, or the cell structure of the organs and tissues of the body,
together with cell physiology, is the rational foundation of all practice.
This is as true for the dentist as for the physician so far as regards all
of the soft tissues of the mouth and teeth that he is called upon to
treat and handle. With caries of the teeth, the disease which most
demands the attention of the dentist, the case is somewhat different.
Caries of the teeth is an active destruction, by outside agencies, of
formed materials which are the result of cell activity (the tissues them-
selves being passive). The cellular activities of organs and tissues of
the body may have an influence, but this is only in producing those
conditions of environment which render the activities of the destructive
agents efficient in their action upon tooth tissues. Though the enamel
and dentin are passive, we can understand the phenomena of caries
only as we understand the structure of the tissues ; and not only
must the treatment of caries be based upon a knowledge of the
structure of the tissues, but the mechanical execution of the treatment
is facilitated by that knowledge. In the prei)aration of cavities the
arrangement of the enamel wall is determined by our knowledge of
the direction of enamel ])risms in that locality, and to a certain extent
! In the prep:iration of this material I am indebted to Dr. G. V. Black for the use of
his large and valuable collection of microscopic slides, and for much advice and many
suggestions.
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