Page 204 - My FlipBook

184 Importance of Iht Teeth
IMPORTANCE OF THE PRESERVATION OF THE BACK
TEETH.
Many persons do not appear to care much about the preser-
vation of the back teeth, though they are very anxious to pre-
serve the front ones for appearance's sake ; those teeth out of
view being thought comparatively of little importance. The
loss of the back teeth not only destroys the masticatory appa-
ratus, and is thus conducive to derangement of the digestive or-
gans, and the whole system, as well as being productive of the
local diseases of the mouth and jaw bones, but their loss is very
apt to occasion the premature decay of the front teeth ; for in
this case, the whole force of mastication comes upon them, and
this undue action, being constantly exerted, wastes their sub-
stance, or occasions disease in their sockets, and at length they
drop out perfectly sound. Hence the preservation of the mo-
lar teeth is of more importance than of the incisores. Another
circumstance, if the back teeth be preserved, so as to keep the
jaws asunder, artificial teeth maybe substituted and used with
great ease and comfort, in case of the loss of the front teeth
;
but reverse the supposition, and artifical teeth cannot be em-
ployed with any comfort, unless a whole set be substituted, for
obvious reasons.
OPERATIONS ON THE TEETH OF PREGNANT WOMExV,
" The prejudices existing against dental operations during
the time of pregnancy, are founded on the mal-piactices of
daring men, or [of unskillful operators, and hence the preva-
lent notion that -it is better to suffer from a slight disease, than
from a painful and hazardous dental treatment.
" I have never been deterred from performing any opera-
tion, the necessity for which was sufficiently indicated, by the
circumstance of pregnancy, or of suckling, provided the indi-
vidual was willing to submit to it; and particularly, if the
object was to relieve the patient from immediate suffering. A
judicious treatment of the teeth aud gums, when circumstance^