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Diseases of the Teeth. 81
My friend, Mr. has a lillle daughter, nine years of
age, all of whose permanent teeth, viz. the four first molares
and the incisores of both jaws, are very remarkable for defect
in their structure. They are of a dirty yellow color, and have
crumbled away almost to the gum : she was remarkably puny
till six or seven years old.
A strumous constitution, is very often accompanied by early
and general decay of the teeth. The following striking exam-
ple is from Mr. Bell
" Miss H. a young lady, seventeen years of age, possessing
that remarkable transparency of skin, and delicacy of fea-
tures, which too often indicates incipient consumption, con-
sulted me respeocting the state of her teeth. The enamel
where it remained, was of that beautiful pearly whiteness and
transparency which characterize teeth of a weak and frail
texture ; but there was not a single tooth, either in the upper
or lower jaw, which was not to a greater or less degree the sub-
ject of gangrene. Not one even of the inferior incisores, so sel-
dom attacked by disease, had escaped its ravages."—Page 129.
That morbid affections of the constitution, occurring during
the formation of the teeth, produce in them a predisposition
to decay, receives a strong confirmation from the fact, that in
the greatest number of cases, they become diseased in pairs ;
for the teeth would naturally participate in the changes which
the constitution may suffer during the period of their forma-
tion, and would be more or less liable to disease, in proportion
to the injury thus inflicted on them.
EXCITING CAUSE OF CARIES.
These will be considered under the heads of internal and
external caries,
PROXIMATE CAUSE OP CARIES.
The proximate cause of both internal and external caries, is
Diseases of the Teeth. 81
My friend, Mr. has a lillle daughter, nine years of
age, all of whose permanent teeth, viz. the four first molares
and the incisores of both jaws, are very remarkable for defect
in their structure. They are of a dirty yellow color, and have
crumbled away almost to the gum : she was remarkably puny
till six or seven years old.
A strumous constitution, is very often accompanied by early
and general decay of the teeth. The following striking exam-
ple is from Mr. Bell
" Miss H. a young lady, seventeen years of age, possessing
that remarkable transparency of skin, and delicacy of fea-
tures, which too often indicates incipient consumption, con-
sulted me respeocting the state of her teeth. The enamel
where it remained, was of that beautiful pearly whiteness and
transparency which characterize teeth of a weak and frail
texture ; but there was not a single tooth, either in the upper
or lower jaw, which was not to a greater or less degree the sub-
ject of gangrene. Not one even of the inferior incisores, so sel-
dom attacked by disease, had escaped its ravages."—Page 129.
That morbid affections of the constitution, occurring during
the formation of the teeth, produce in them a predisposition
to decay, receives a strong confirmation from the fact, that in
the greatest number of cases, they become diseased in pairs ;
for the teeth would naturally participate in the changes which
the constitution may suffer during the period of their forma-
tion, and would be more or less liable to disease, in proportion
to the injury thus inflicted on them.
EXCITING CAUSE OF CARIES.
These will be considered under the heads of internal and
external caries,
PROXIMATE CAUSE OP CARIES.
The proximate cause of both internal and external caries, is
