Page 196 - My FlipBook

182 METHODS OF- FILLING TEETH.

appearance to Fig. 226, the extra root in all being at the posterior
lingual angle.
are so
The wisdom-teeth (denies sapientice) commonly misshapen
that it is easier to get specimens with distorted roots than with regu-
larly formed ones. They are also so generally condemned to the for-
ceps that root-filling is seldom practiced. Yet occasionally it is best to
make the effort to save such teeth, and I may be pardoned for intro-
ducing one or two illustrations, that the student may get an idea of
what he may have to contend with.
Fig. 227, from the upper jaw, would be a puzzle, whilst Fig. 228,
also an upper tooth, would be equally so, with its three roots all
curved, the palatal one forming almost a bow. Fig. 229 is a fair
mate to it from the lower whilst Fig. 230 indicates that we cannot
jaw,
always be sure that a wisdom-tooth is short-rooted. The length of
the roots in this case would be almost as an obstacle to thorough
great
and as would the curve of the
cleansing filling, preceding specimen.
FIG. 227. FIG. 228. FIG. 229. FIG. 230.

Lest it be argued that I have selected extreme cases for illustrating
the difficulties to be contended with in filling roots, I must here reply
to such a proposition. In the first place, such conditions are not very
unusual or difficult to find. That this is true is made plain by the
statement that the specimens used here, with a few exceptions, -were
obtained through the kindness of Dr. Hasbrouck, who allowed me to
look The
through a small lot of teeth extracted in his office. speci-
mens were selected in about ten minutes. I could have chosen in
many instances much more remarkable distortions, but did not think
it necessary. I could readily have enlarged the number tenfold, but
that also would have been of no advantage. Of wisdom-teeth there
was the because more of these are sacri-
greatest assortment, possibly
ficed than any other one tooth. The only real rarity among the fore-
going illustrations is the two-rooted cuspid. Yet I once removed
such a tooth for a young lady, and on the same day extracted a first
bicuspid for her mother which had three roots much more marked
than those shown in
Fig. 217.
Again, I may defend this exhibit by the argument that we cannot
learn to anticipate possible difficulties by a study of simple conditions.