Page 20 - My FlipBook

ADVERTISEMENT. — —
The author would respectfully invite public attention
to the chapters on the preventive and curative treatment
of the diseases of the teeth. Public attention has
hitherto been too much directed to artificial teeth, rather
than to the more important and useful part of dentistry
the preservation of the natural ones. The great Sur-
geon Abernethy, was of opinion that half Ike diseases of
the teeth at least might be prevented ; and this opinion
is generally entertained by scientific dentists.
The author deems it his duty to touch on a subject
which he fain would pass by, were it not of much im-
portance to the public, and the remedy at their hands
he refers to the present degraded state of dentistry.
Throughout our country, men are engaging in this busi-
ness in great numbers, many of them without having
had any instruction in the art or possessing any know-
ledge of it, and presume to discharge the duties of a
dentist. These hard times are very prolific in the gener-
ation of dentists. The author has counted the signs of
near thirty who have commenced operation within a
few months in this city. There are considerably more
than a hundred dentists in New-York, and most of them
inflict far more injury than benefit on the community.
The author has no asperity against his profession. It
is with painful feelings that he feels himself compelled
to speak out. Every day, the well informed dentist
;3ees the baneful effects of dental quackery—teeth that
were plugged a year or two ago, decaying as rapidly as
ever, and artificial teeth executed so badly that they soon
cause ruin to the adjoining teeth, and should shame
" Nature's Journeymen." In a word, the extent of
mischief caused by dental charlatanism cannot be even
touched upon in this advertisement. (See note, p. 107.)
The well-educated and thorough-bred dentist, feels
himself degraded by his professional association with
ignorants or knaves, who think " honesty but their coin,"
and "conscience a scarecrow setup by priests." Instead
of " bearing his countenance erect towards the heavens,"