Page 122 - My FlipBook

io6 THE TREATMENT OF TEETH
sldlful operator, but on a good and appreciative
patient. The dentist must be able to do the work,
and the patient must let him do it. The pre-
paration of cavities is comparatively a severe, and
often a painful, procedure. Nervous, timid patients,
and all whose teeth are excessively sensitive, are
generally bad subjects for gold filling. The pain
caused by thorough excavation is, in the majority
of cases, easily bearable, particularly so if the
patient understands the operation, and has a suffi-
cient appreciation of the value of his or her natural
teeth to realise the advantage of helping the dentist
by exercising self-control. Many patients are in-
tolerant of the slightest pain or inconvenience.
Some imagine it is quite unnecessary, and consider
it is the correct thing to make as much fuss as
possible. There is hardly any dentist who can do
this work satisfactorily when the patient is flinching
and fidgetting, telling him every few seconds he is
" touching the nerve," and asking continually how
soon it will be finished, &c. Here and there may
be found an operator of iron nerve and calm,
unruffled disposition, whom nothing disconcerts, and
who can do " good gold work " under all circum-
stances, but he will probably have the satisfaction (?)
of frequently hearing, that, although he is con-
sidered a remarkably skilful operator., the severity