Page 88 - My FlipBook
P. 88
:
63 Diseases of the Teeth,
and exciting. By predisposing causes, he means all those
circumstances, which may affect the structure of the teeth,
during their formation. By remote, those things which may
produce a subsequent change in their condition ; as the adminis-
tration ol'certain medicines; and by exciting causes, those things
which directly act on the teeth ; as cold, great and sudden
changes of temperature, foreign matter, &c. It is seen, that
the views of Mr. Bell are materially different from those of
Mr. Fox, on this subject; the latter gentleman divides caries
into internal and external, and supposes that internal caries is
produced, by an inflammation of the internal membrane, which
occasions it to separate from the walls of the cavity, and that
the death of some portion of the bone of the tooth is the conse-
quence. This hypothesis can certainly require no refutation ;
the internal membrane is never separated from the walls of the
cavity, unless suppuration has taken place, no matter how
much the tooth may be decayed, as any one may satisfy him-
self, by examining the interne! membrane of a tooth, recently
extracted, which will be found to adhere with some firmness.
External carie3, Mr. Fox attributes to the action of foreign
matter and corrosive menstrua, which destroy the enamel and
expose the bone of the teeth to decay.
Mr. L. S. Parmly and others, deny that caries ever origi-
nates internally, from inflammation, and declare that it is pro-
duced in all cases, by the action of foreign matter, corrosive
menstrua, and the putrefactive fermentation of the particles of
food, lodged between the teeth.
Mr. E. Parmly, of this city, is of the above opinion. lie
says
" I consider the immediate and exciting cause of dental decay
to be always external to the tooth itself, and to consist of cer-
tain corrosive menstrua to which these organs are exposed
from bodily disease, improper aliments, powerful medicines,
and the thousand other sources of acrid filth and destructive
poisons that become concentrated in the mouth and deposited
upon the teeth. These procuring causes of caries may indeed
63 Diseases of the Teeth,
and exciting. By predisposing causes, he means all those
circumstances, which may affect the structure of the teeth,
during their formation. By remote, those things which may
produce a subsequent change in their condition ; as the adminis-
tration ol'certain medicines; and by exciting causes, those things
which directly act on the teeth ; as cold, great and sudden
changes of temperature, foreign matter, &c. It is seen, that
the views of Mr. Bell are materially different from those of
Mr. Fox, on this subject; the latter gentleman divides caries
into internal and external, and supposes that internal caries is
produced, by an inflammation of the internal membrane, which
occasions it to separate from the walls of the cavity, and that
the death of some portion of the bone of the tooth is the conse-
quence. This hypothesis can certainly require no refutation ;
the internal membrane is never separated from the walls of the
cavity, unless suppuration has taken place, no matter how
much the tooth may be decayed, as any one may satisfy him-
self, by examining the interne! membrane of a tooth, recently
extracted, which will be found to adhere with some firmness.
External carie3, Mr. Fox attributes to the action of foreign
matter and corrosive menstrua, which destroy the enamel and
expose the bone of the teeth to decay.
Mr. L. S. Parmly and others, deny that caries ever origi-
nates internally, from inflammation, and declare that it is pro-
duced in all cases, by the action of foreign matter, corrosive
menstrua, and the putrefactive fermentation of the particles of
food, lodged between the teeth.
Mr. E. Parmly, of this city, is of the above opinion. lie
says
" I consider the immediate and exciting cause of dental decay
to be always external to the tooth itself, and to consist of cer-
tain corrosive menstrua to which these organs are exposed
from bodily disease, improper aliments, powerful medicines,
and the thousand other sources of acrid filth and destructive
poisons that become concentrated in the mouth and deposited
upon the teeth. These procuring causes of caries may indeed
