Page 98 - My FlipBook

78 Diseases of the Teeth.
The teeth of the lower jaw, they further say, are not so
liable to decay as the teeth of the upper jaw, because the saliva
gravitates and dissolves away the tartar and foreign matter
from the former. This, however, is totally incorrect ; for the
vwlares of both jaws are equally liable to decay, and the
incisorcs of the lower jaw very seldom decay, though they are
more frequently incrusted with tartar, than any other teeth in
the mouth, on account of their proximity to the sublingual
ducts, and of their situation being more favoroble to the depo-
sition of this substance, suspended in the saliva; while the
incisores of the upper jaw, are particularly prone to disease.
We think a more probable and the true reason, why the incisores
of the lower jaw do not decay, is, that they are very small, of
a more dense structure, and protected by a thick coat of ena-
mel. Indeed, the enamel composes the greater share of their
crowns. We have said more on this subject than we intend-
ed ; but we wish to advocate sound doctrine, as we have no
dogma to govern us, and to show that the judicious practice of
dental surger}', must be founded on correct principles.
The transplanting* of teeth from one mouth to another, as

* "TRANSPLANTING THE TEETH."
We have often been asked the question by patients if it were possible
to transplant a tooth from the mouth of one person to that of another.
As a matter of curiosity, rather than utility, we beg to say a few words
on this subject. The great Physiologist and Pathologist, Mr. Hunter
among his thousand experiments on the living body, niserted the living
human tooth into the combs of cocks, and found that adhesion took place,
and in one instance, that there was a vascular connexion between the
vessels of the pulp of the teeth and those of the comb. From these cir-
cumstances, and others which he observed in the adhesion of teeth that
had been forced out of their sockets by accident, he proceeded to trans-
plant either living or dead teeth,- first extracting the root of the decayed
tooth and then slipping into its socket, the new one, and securing ir with
ligatures. This was a favorite theory with Mr. Hunter, and he recom-
mended its practice to dentists, which is not a little surprising", fince he
made so many discoveries, and understood the laws which govern the
animal economy so perfectly. The incisores, cuspidati and bievspides
only could thus be transplanted, the diverging fangs of the molares pro-
hibiting the practice with them.
Transplanting the teeth was pursued till the occurrence of several