Page 184 - My FlipBook

182 DENTAL MEDICINE. ;

Compresses moistened with this solution are applied to the
affected parts, and renewed every two hours. It is claimed that
the pain disappears within a few hours, and that the disease is
considerably shortened by this treatment.
Dental Caries is indicated by a process of gradual softening and
chemical disintegration of the tooth substance, molecule by mole-
cule, caused directly by micro-organisms which attach themselves
and grow in contact with the surface of the tooth, being pro-
tected by a gelatinous film, and forming an acid which acts upon
the tooth tissue, and thus affords access to the micro-organisms.
Artificial coverings for the retention and protection of the micro-
organisms in contact with the tooth substance, may also result from
badly performed technical procedures, such as imperfect fillings,
irregularity appliances, gold bands, caps, etc. The micro-organ-
isms have no power of penetrating the enamel until its sub-
stance is dissolved by their acid excretions making room for them,
the lime salts of the tooth substance being first dissolved away by
deleterious agents, the progress being hastened by certain struc-
tural defects in the enamel and dentine. Incipient dental caries
is indicated by an opaque, whitish or gray appearance of the
enamel. A pale brown varying to a nearly black color indicates
the existence and progress of dental caries in the tooth tissues
the deeper the color the slower the progress of the caries, and the
paler the color the more rapid the progress.
Treatment.—Incipient caries should be removed with great
care, and the exposed surface of tooth structure prepared to resist
further attacks by giving to it as high a polish as is possible, and
the patient warned in regard to its future cleanliness. Deep-
seated caries should be removed, and its further progress arrested
by thoroughly sterilizing or disinfecting the cavity by antiseptics
and disinfectants, and the careful insertion of fillings of a durable
material. During pregnancy all operations on the teeth should
be painless, and long, wearying sittings be avoided. Caries of
the teeth of pregnant women can be arrested by plastic fillings
until such time as the patient can the better endure more perma-
nent operations. The preventive measures consist in the thor-
ough and frequent use of the tooth-brush and its adjunct, floss