Page 234 - My FlipBook

2l8 HUNTER ON THE TEETH.
describe, as they will greatly vary according to circum-
stances, so considerably indeed, that scarcely two cases are
to bo treated alike, and in general the dentists are tolerably
well acquainted with the methods.
In general, it is done with ligatures or plates of silver.
The ligatures answer best when it is only required to bring
two Teeth closer together, which are pretty much in the
circle. The trouble attending this is but trifling, as it is
only that of having them tied once a week or fortnight.
Where Teeth, growing out of the circle, are to be brought
into it, curved silver plates, of a proper construction must
be used. These are generally made to act upon three points,
two fixed points on the standing Teeth, and the third on
the Tooth which is to be moved. That part of the plate,
which rests on the two standing Teeth, must be of a suf-
ficient length for that purpose, while the curved part is
short, and goes on the opposite side of the Tooth to be
moved. Its effect depends very much on the attention of
the patient, who must frequently press hard upon it with
the Teeth of the opposite jaw ; so that this method is
much more troublesome to the patient than the ligature.
It is impossible to give absolute directions what Tooth
or Teeth ought to be pulled out. That must be left to the
judgment of the operator ; but the following general hints
may be of service.
1. If there is any one Tooth very much out of the row,
and all the others regular, that Tooth may be removed, and
the two neighbouring ones brought closer together.
2. If there are two or more Teeth of the same side very
irregular, (as for instance, the second incisor and cuspi-
datus) and it appears to be of no consequence, with respect
to regularity, which of them is removed, I should recom-
mend the extraction of the farthest back of the two, viz.,
the cuspidatus ; because, if there should be any space, not
filled up, when the other is brought into the row, it will
not be so readily seen.