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Plugging the tfeeth. — 121
and is therefore in this state to be rejected." Koetker, pagei
392, and 405.
CEMENTS.
Various substances in the form of cements have been used
in past ages, and are still, for the purpose of rilling decayed
and hollow teeth. All such substances are of very little use
for the preservation of the teeth ; they are at best, only pali*
atives* and are never used by honorable and well informed
dentists, unless for a temporary purpose. Cements are com* 5
posed of earthy substances which have the property of hard*
ening under Water* (as tufa and terras, which are com*
pounds of iron, silex, allumine, and carbonate of lime,) mixed
with the filings of metals, usually of zinc, in order to render
them harder ; also of metals amalgamated with mercury*
Any person who is at all acquainted with the principles ort
which a carious tooth must be plugged, that it may be cured)
will at once perceive, that no cement can ever be devised* that
shall prove of much utility for the purpose of filling decaying
teeth. In order that a carious tooth be cured and protected
from future decay, it is necessary that the decayed and dead
portions be completely cut away, and the cavity plugged aif
and Water tight. Cements do not, nor can they ever be con-
trived to effect their object* We have seen many teeth stop^
ped with cement , and it may be well to mention the result of
one case. In 1832, a lady called on us for the purpose of
having a tooth extracted, which had two years previously
been stopped with cement in London. She had four othef
molar teeth operated on at the same time* We recommended
the cement to be removed, and the teeth plugged with gold*
Which she did not prefer to have done. In less than two years
from this time, we extracted all these teeth*
We would not dwell upon this subject, were it not that
empirics are imposing Upon community things which they
know to be useless. The success of those ignorant impostor
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