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40 Irregularities of the Teeth.
any parent can be so unmindful of the interest and welfare of
his child, as to allow disgusting and hideous deformity to
spring up and fix itself permanently and irremediably on that
excellent part of its person, which is a peculiar characteristic
of man ; then to fix itself, too, where it must more or less dis-
tort those features which are aptly said to be the index of the
mind, and mar that visage which was made after God's own
image : besides, there is even associated in our minds an idea
of mental perverseness, when there is great deformity of the
teeth. Notwithstanding all this, it frequently so falls out,
either from ignorance of the means proper to be used for its
prevention, or neglect or compassion on the child, or from
what you will. Compassion for the child, or distrust enter-
tained by the parent of the efficacy of the means recommended,
we have often known prevent the necessary treatment for ob-
viating irregularities of the teeth, and their consequences. But
the former is altogether a misplaced sympathy, and the latter
an ill-timed discretion, for the exercise of which, the child will
not be over-grateful, when he shall have arrived to years of
discretion, and to a stale of irremediable and perfect deformity.
The permanent teeth are often thrown into a great variety
of irregular positions, by several causes obstructing their pro-
gress during their irruption.
A description of these irregularities is deemed unnecessary.
The incisores and cuspidati of the upper jaw are most subject
to them.
CAUSES OF IRREGULARITIES OF THE TEETH.
The first and most frequent cause is a want of simultaneous
action between the protrusion of the permanent teeth, and the
absorption of the fangs of the temporary ones.
The second is a narrowness of the maxillary arch, or a want
of exact proportion between the extent of it and the size of the
teeth.
These are the natural and frequent causes of irregularities,