Page 57 - My FlipBook

HISTOL'Y OF DENTAL SURGEEY 27

of the offending tectli tlireaten injury to tlie other teeth, tlie last resource to be
admitted is extraction. This operation should be performed by one well ex-
perienced, as the extraction of a tooth by an inexperienced person cannot be
performed without injury." He further observes, "Extraction must not be
resorted to excepting that the pain has begun to abate, when the master may
proceed with a suitable instrument to make the tooth free from the gum,
so that when the tooth is removed, the gum may not be pulled also and thus that
other disease may not be caused. After the gum has thus been dissected
away, the tooth should be sliook hither and thither, after which, having become
loose, it may be gently and not hurriedly removed, so that the jaw may not
be injured or broken or dislocated, as occurs occasionally with the inex-
perienced ; and that, as may occur with the upper teeth, there shall be no
injury inflicted upon the eye." He also recommends that before extracting, if
the tooth is very nuich decayed, it be first filled with lead, tin, silver or iron or
anything else that is ])racticalile, so that "when the tongs take a hold, it
should not crush." After extraction he recommends ''a thorough ex-
amination of the tissues to determine that no fracture of tlie alveolus or jaw
has occurred," and "in the case that a spiculum of bone has been displaced it
must be removed to prevent serious injury and swelling and suppuration." If
tl.e extraction has proved without injury to the surrouniling tissues, he recom-
mends the use of a lotion of vinegar in which gall apples and pomegranate
tlowers have been macerated.
''Some," he says, "have an aversion to the extraction of the teeth and pre-
fer to burn the offending tooth. They take a fine iron which is adapted
for tliis purpose. This they heat to a glow, then they place this through an
iron tube, through which the glowing iron jtasses, and introduce this into the
offending tooth while the cold case protects the other tissues. In the case of
a much decayed tooth, the red hot iron is introduced into the decay. This
burning is very efficacious and not dangerous, it sulidues the pain and the
tooth breaks to pieces and disappears without further pain." He further
oliserves: "Some, instead of extracting and instead of using tlie actual cautery
of iron, use a little olibanum (Juniper Lycea), make that into a glow and
place it in the hollow of the tooth ; or they take the fat of a tree toad and
anoint the teeth witli it, which causes them to break and eventually to drop out
without further pain."
The last chapter is devoted to the retention of the teeth. He sapiently re-
marks :
"Who desires to retain good teeth must avoid the tilings mentioned in the