Page 225 - My FlipBook

Artificial Teeth. 205
tion, might appear invidious, and is wholly unnecessary, as
those interested willjudge for themselves.
Suction Cases, or teeth made to adhere to the gums by
atmospheric pressure.
When the teeth are all lost, especially from the upper jaw,
artificial teeth may be mounted on a base or gold plate, which
shall fit the gums so perfectly, that they will be retained
firmly in position by adhesive attraction, the pressure of the
atmosphere, and by the action of the muscles of the cheek's.
The principal retaining power, however, is the atmosphere ;
and hence, it is only under certain circumstances that suction
cases can be made with success. If the gum, for instance,
be very flat, sharp, or callous, there will be a difficulty in
excluding the air so perfectly as to cause any adhesion. When
the gum is favorable, suction cases are made to answer a
good purpose. The greatest difficulty occurs in adapting
these cases to the upper jaw, as the gravity of the case in the
lower jaw is sufficient to keep the teeth in situ. It is a very
nice and difficult matter to construct suction cases that will
answer the desired purpose, as the least variation will re-
move the supporting power.
Suction Cases are exciting considerable interest in the
public mind from the novelty ofthem, and the advertisements
oF some dentists who would have the public believe them-
selves the inventors of the "important discovery." Suction
cases, especially cases made with an ivory base, carved so
as to fit the gum perfectly, have been in use to my know-
ledge more than twenty years. This method of inserting
teeth, has been much more extensively employed in En-
gland, and on the continent, especially ia Germany, than in
this country.