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SELECTION AND ARRAN C.KMENT OV TKKTIl.
3 5
hv those eiii^'aged in prosthetic dentistry is evident in the
months of a majority of tliose who are S(^ nn fortunate as
to be under the necessity of wearing substitutes for lost nat-
ural dentures.
"The troul)le usually, is not with the manufacturers;
they supply the demand. The fact is, the requirements of
the law of correspondence have not been sufficiently .studied
by the profession. The first study of the dentist who
aspires to the dignity of artist, ^vhen proposing to restore
a lost tooth, should be how to restore the natural appearance
of his patient, and this can only be effected through an ap-
preciation and observance of the temperamental character-
istics and the law^ of correspondence or harmony. Age and
sex may somewhat modify the requirements in a given
case, but the basal fact on wdiich he should proceed is
temperament. A failure to recognize its demands will re-
sult in failure,^from an esthetic standpoint. A knowledge
of the distinguishing characteristics of the various tem-
peraments and the style of teeth wdiich conform to nature's
type in the physical organization marks the difference be-
tween the dental mechanic and the dental artist."
From the foregoing remarks we gather the following
points for special notice :—
In Selecting tlie Teeth. — First, their shape and character,
whether the sides of the teeth are parallel or divergent;
whether their face is fiat or curved; whether they are thin
and translucent, or thick, opaque, and massive.
Second, their size; that is, their width and length and the
relative width and length of the anterior teeth. Fig. 13
illustrates typical gum-sections for the four basal tempera-
ments.
Third, their shade. Where all the teeth are not lost,
and the remaining teeth are in good condition, an effort
should be made to match the natural teeth as accurately as