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80 Diseases of the Teeth.
These divisions we think more apropos, as applied lo the
diseases of the teeth, than to the diseases of the general sys-
tem.
The predisposing causes of caries, are defective organiza-
tion of the teeth, arising from hereditary affections, or the ac-
tion of disease during their formation, and certain states of the
system.
The exciting causes are climate, great and sudden changes
of temperature, and all the general causes of inflammation;
diet, a febrile state of the system, as in dyspeptic affections,
pregnancy, &c. certain medicines, as mercury; chemical
;
and mechanical agents.
The proximate cause, is inflammation of the bony structure
of the teeth, in both species of decay.
PREDISPOSING CAUSE OF CARIES.
'Hereditary predisposition is among the most common and
remarkable of the former class. It often happens that this
tendency exists in either the whole or a greater part of a fam-
ily of children, where one of the parents had been similarly
affected ; and this is true, to so great an extent, that I have very
commonly seen the same tooth, and even the same part of the
tooth, affected in several individuals of the family, and at about
the same age. In other instances, where there are many
children, among whom there exists a distinct division into two
portions, some resembling the father, and others the mother,
in features and constitution, I have observed the corresponding
difference in both as it regards their form and texture, and
their tendency to decay." Thomas Bell, page 128.
The whole list of infantile diseases, and the profuse admin-
istration of mercurial medicines, for their cure, operating
during the formation of the permanent teeth, undoubtedly
strongly predispose them to future decay, by producing de-
fective organization of their structure, as is well illustrated in
the following case :
80 Diseases of the Teeth.
These divisions we think more apropos, as applied lo the
diseases of the teeth, than to the diseases of the general sys-
tem.
The predisposing causes of caries, are defective organiza-
tion of the teeth, arising from hereditary affections, or the ac-
tion of disease during their formation, and certain states of the
system.
The exciting causes are climate, great and sudden changes
of temperature, and all the general causes of inflammation;
diet, a febrile state of the system, as in dyspeptic affections,
pregnancy, &c. certain medicines, as mercury; chemical
;
and mechanical agents.
The proximate cause, is inflammation of the bony structure
of the teeth, in both species of decay.
PREDISPOSING CAUSE OF CARIES.
'Hereditary predisposition is among the most common and
remarkable of the former class. It often happens that this
tendency exists in either the whole or a greater part of a fam-
ily of children, where one of the parents had been similarly
affected ; and this is true, to so great an extent, that I have very
commonly seen the same tooth, and even the same part of the
tooth, affected in several individuals of the family, and at about
the same age. In other instances, where there are many
children, among whom there exists a distinct division into two
portions, some resembling the father, and others the mother,
in features and constitution, I have observed the corresponding
difference in both as it regards their form and texture, and
their tendency to decay." Thomas Bell, page 128.
The whole list of infantile diseases, and the profuse admin-
istration of mercurial medicines, for their cure, operating
during the formation of the permanent teeth, undoubtedly
strongly predispose them to future decay, by producing de-
fective organization of their structure, as is well illustrated in
the following case :
