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5 o METHODS OF FILLING TEETH.

teeth where the condition demands that attention should be given to
the tooth at the next sitting. The white becomes useful for teeth
whose root-canals have been filled, or any other condition where it is
not absolutely essential that the particular tooth should be operated
to the exclusion of other cases.
upon immediately, possibly urgent
Thus, when a patient presents, a glance in the mouth tells much. A
white in color, the dentist set aside for the time
temporary filling, may ;
but a one acts as a which would mean that would
pink signal, delay
be dangerous.
A which is served better
temporary purpose, by gutta-percha plain,
than when in combination with wax, is where a patient presents with a
number of dangerous cavities ; teeth in which a pulp-exposure may
occur at any time. It is impossible to fill them all at one sitting with
permanent materials. It is very wise, however, to cleanse them all of
decay, and fill with gutta-percha. Thus all is made safe at once, and
the permanent fillings may be placed at leisure.
As a permanent filling gutta-percha may frequently be depended
Either the white or the be used, but
upon. pink may my experience
has been that the pink is more durable ; therefore in inconspicuous
it is to be Much of the failure of
places preferred. reported gutta-
percha as a permanent filling may be referred to faulty manipulation,
or injudicious choice of the cavity in which to place it.
So far as manipulation is concerned, the common practice of heating
the material in the flame is ruinous to all hope of permanency. It
should be heated on a porcelain disk held over the lamp, or prefer-
over warm water on a A of this
ably glass tray. special apparatus
kind is In in a should the
purchasable. placing gutta-percha cavity,
be a it may be thus in-
cavity large one, packed piece by piece,
suring adaptation to the walls, until two-thirds of the cavity is filled.
Then a single piece large enough to complete it should be used. In
smaller cavities a single piece should be chosen large enough to
slightly more than fill the cavity. After the filling has cooled and is
hardened, the surplus should be trimmed off with a thin smooth bur-
nisher, or spatula, slightly warmed, care being used not to drag the
material away from the walls. In a few instances, as up under the
gum margin, I have used to advantage a tape dipped in chloroform.
Places where gutta-percha is positively indicated are extremely
sensitive cavities or
along buccal, palatal, lingual surfaces, especially
where they extend wholly or in part below the gum margin, in molar
teeth. Here the pink variety is to be preferred. Where teeth have
been worn so that cavities filled with
by ill-fitting clasps, leathery decay
have been formed, which when cleansed leave
exposed hypersensitive
dentine, they are more likely to be cured with gutta-percha than with
any other material. It is better to be obliged to renew the fillings