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CHAPTER VI

TREATMENT OF DISEASED CONDITIONS OF THE
TEETH PREPARATORY TO FILLING

Sterilisation of Cavities.—Microscopic examination
shows that even when the whole of the soft dentine
is removed there is a certain amount of apparently
hard dentine left into which microbes have pene-
trated. The most thorough preparation of cavities
is insufficient to completely eradicate this except
perhaps in very small cavities that have to be
greatly enlarged in every direction to admit of being
satisfactorily filled. It is considered that these
microbes may live under a perfectly tight filling, and
that they may gradually find their way to the pulp,
and cause it irritation and perhaps death. Dr.
Choquet, who has made exhaustive investigations in
this connection, thoroughly and completely sterilises
the cavity by drying it, removing the decay, drying
the dentine with warmed air and 70 per cent, alcohol,
followed by absolute alcohol and hot air, and then
applying a mixture of alcohol, xylol, geranium