Page 152 - My FlipBook

132 Curative Treatment of Caries.
situation ichich favors the lodgement, retention and chernical
action of foreign matter upon it.
Proof—Savage nations file their front teeth into various
shapes without inducing decay. Some negro nations on the
western coast of Africa, and the Abyssinians file off the cor-
ners of the incisores in both jaws, so as to make them point-
ed, like the teeth of a saw. TheMalay Indians file the incisores
across their anterior surface, so as to give them the appearance
of being fluted. These are convincing proofs that the mere
filing of the teeth does not cause them to decay.
The following cases, which we select from our notes, are
positive proofs of our position, and show the great advantages
to be derived from the judicious use of the file.
CASE I.
October, 1833, called on us for professional services, Mr.
J. C. Forty years ago, the incisor teeth of the upper jaw
being in a state of decay, were separated with a thin file, and
the disease completely cut out from their inner surfaces, by
the celebrated Joseph Fox, in London. They have not decay-
ed in the least since, nor would an observer suspect that
they had ever been operated upon.
CASE II.
November, 1834, examined the mouth of Mr. W. two mo-
lares, three bicuspides, one cuspidatus, and two incisores were
filed ten years ago, for the cure of decay, by Mr. Cartwright,
of London, the most celebrated dentist in Europe. More than
one third of some of these teeth were filed away. The disease
has not made any further progress since the operation.
CASE III.
November, 1834, plugged some teeth for Miss S. In 1827,
the incisores, cuspidati and some of the bicuspides, being much
decayed, were freely separated, and the disease cut away