Page 88 - My FlipBook

METHODS OF FILLING TEETH.
74
advantageously resorted to in those cases where, a ligature being an
essential, it is found just possible to press it above the cavity margin.
There is constant danger of its slipping. Use the heavy foil and form
a ridge beyond the margin, as has been described, and there will be
no further reason for anxiety as to the ligature.
Sometimes in a large cavity there is an underlying layer of oxy-
phosphate, either placed by the operator, or found in the cavity from
has been removed. For reasons in the
which a leaking filling good
individual case, it may be desirable to fill with gold without disturbing
this. Under the action of the mallet, occasionally a dust is formed
by particles being broken from this layer of phosphate. This is not
only annoying, but it interferes materially by preventing cohesion of
the gold. The filling having been fairly well started, a single thick-
ness of heavy foil may be attached, and then laid down, completely
the and the trouble is remedied.
covering phosphate,
There is one more use of heavy foil to which I will specially allude,
and that will lead me to the proper method of manipulating it.
Once more let us imagine a cavity in the approximal surface of a
While we have sufficient or so at
bicuspid. apparently space, judge
the outset, as the work progresses we wish that we had obtained
more ; or let us say that more was unobtainable. The result not in-
is that near the end we find that the filled
frequently cavity is perhaps
its surfaces covered, but we wish to add more
so far as having gold
for the sake of contour ; the filling is flat, whereas we wish it rounding.
The space will just admit a thin burnisher. In such a condition we
find that there are parts of the filling, about its center, which cannot
well be reached with a plugger. I proceed as follows, and I will say
here that this is not to be confounded with the Herbst method. I lay
a of No. 30, within the and
piece heavy foil, preferably space against
the surface of the Then with a thin, clean, and warm
filling. flat,
burnisher I burnish the added piece vigorously, whereupon it unites
with the In a similar
thoroughly filling. way I proceed, adding gold
as long as needed, and completing my contour. This makes a hard
surface, and though I have practiced this for over ten years, I have
never had such portion of my filling scale off. Another, and perhaps
more frequent, occasion for this method is where from long malleting,
or other cause, a tooth is so sore that it is cruel to use the mallet any
longer. I find that ordinary hand-pressure in this case results in no
Then I resort to the
gain. heavy foil and burnisher, with satisfac-
tion to and I would one fact upon the mind
myself patient. impress
of the reader : Never attempt this method until all margins are covered,
and never it with but
try anything heavy gold.
I believe that the common practice is to cut heavy foil into narrow
of considerable
strips length, and fold it over and over as it is packed.