Page 187 - My FlipBook

THE FINISHING OF FILLINGS.
173
Where it is desired to fill a large cavity loosely, and yet seal it up
to
sufficiently keep it clean and protected from the ingress of food,
cotton dipped in chloro-percha will be found much better than cotton
and sandarac. When cotton and sandarac is to be used, as for
pressing
away resistant gum-tissue, the cotton should be barely touched to the
varnish. Then open the pellet, and fold it again so that the sandarac
is inside. This will make a more whilst the
cleanly plug, giving
outer cotton a chance to swell by absorbing moisture.
THE FINISHING OF FILLINGS.
The final success or failure of a filling largely depends upon the
finishing or polishing. A number of points in connection with the
various materials are of special interest.
Gold. A gold filling, when dismissed, should appear like solid metal,
smooth at every point and highly polished. Unless there is good
reason for postponement, the finishing should immediately follow the
insertion of the before removal of the dam.
filling, Exception to the
rule, so far as the removal of the dam is concerned, would be where
its would interfere with the or where
presence polishing, nothing is
gained by leaving it in place. The judgment of the operator would
decide. should be built out so full that after
Approximal fillings
removing the excess the exact contour would be restored, whilst the
surface of the gold would be sufficiently dense to permit the highest
This at once banishes the matrix. Whether in the
polish. requisite
anterior or in the posterior teeth, superior or inferior, I like sand-
for this work, and the disk on the
paper prefer engine-mandrel to the
strip, though both will be required to meet all cases. I believe the
more common is to use the disk with the sand side
practice facing
away from the engine hand-piece which holds the mandrel. Occa-
such a will be needed. I
sionally position peremptorily Ordinarily
recommend that it be placed exactly the other way. With the sand
side facing the hand-piece, and sufficient practice to acquire dexterity,
the will find that he can manage the of fill-
operator greatest variety
I can reach and without other instrument the
ings. polish following :
Anterior and posterior approximal surfaces of incisors, cuspids, bicus-
and first molars, and the surfaces of second and third
pids, posterior
molars labial surfaces, festoon cavities, and
; especially including
often the palatal surfaces. After the disk has been used a little so that
I can trim a
it becomes pliable, filling, shaping approximal angles,
without flattening. Where the tooth is long, and wide at the crown,
I can reach the gingival margin of the filling by pressing the disk
against the adjacent tooth, which compels it to run as though con-
caved. In many inaccessible places I compel the disk to accomplish
my purpose by holding it against the part with a flat burnisher pressed