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HISTORY OF DEXTAL SUEGEEY 261

The first definite description of an obturator was by Pare, whose first work
was published in 1541.
Fauchard and Delabarre also made obturators, the former at one time used
ivory, and describes two which lie made. One was composed of two central
incisors, lateral, cuspid, one molar, with all the part of the upper maxilla in
which these teeth were located and implanted, and a portion of the mental
apophysis and nearly one-lialf of tlie middle anterior plate of the palatine vault;
held by ligatures. The other was composed of a plate, stem, two wings, two
pivots, a vise, a screw and key.
Desirabode took impressions with wax when he made obturators.
Delestre, a dentist of Paris, in 1845 made an obturator where there was
loss of the external table of a portion of the upper maxilla, including many
anterior teeth.
There was also the obturator with branches, a shank, a hood or drum, a
holt, a wing.
Delabarre and Lefoulon advised making a groove in a natural tooth to
keep a ligature or clasp, which was used to hold an obturator from slipping.
The names of Le Blanc, Quesnay, Descault, Dupuytren and Preterre are
closely associated with obturators.
In cases of hair-lip and separation of the palatine bones, Koux attempted
the compression of the dental arches from without inwardly, and Levret and
Autenricth did the same.
Yidal de Cassis says : 'YVe may aid nature by a compressive bandage act-
ing under the two eheek-Iiones, or by metallic wires traversing the palatine
vault, and binding the molars on the opposite side."
This was Jourdain's method, only he \ised silk ligatures instead of wires.
lie exerted a double traction in contrary directions upon the two ranges of
molar teeth.
Lefoulon, in 1844, and Maury used a band with an occlusal surface soldered
to it.
Another method was to envelop the anterior part of tlie upper alveolar
arch in an elastic steel band, which was maintained by two metallic springs
around the cranium. This band had two branches which were furnished with
leather or India rubber. These operated by the continuous reaction of the
leather or rubber aided by the action of the lips and by means of two com-
pressed cushions against the jaws.
It should be said that all branches of modern dentistry in France are very
similar to what we find in England and the United States.