Page 27 - My FlipBook

THE RELIEF OF PAIN —
ii
immediately in front should bo sacrificed. This
gives room for the wisdom tooth to erupt, and by
thus relieving pressure the pain usuall}' ceases. It
has been stated that the closure of an upper wisdom
on to the flap of gum that may partially or com-
pletely cover an erupting lower wisdom, is a
frequent cause of pain, and that the extraction
of the upper wisdom relieves the pain, and enables
the lower tooth to erupt. Cases occur in which the
gum and peridental membrane become acutely in-
flamed, causing great pain, either from local or con-
stitutional causes. In some of these cases the cause
is unapparent or unascertainable. The application
of strong tincture of iodine to the gum and the
removal of tartar, when it is present, is generally
the best local treatment. Some of these cases may
easily be mistaken—if only one or two adjacent
teeth are affected, and these teeth contain fillings
for peridental inflammation, caused by an inflamed
or a dead pulp.
Pain after the extraction of a tooth is best
relieved by packing the socket with cotton-Avool or
lint saturated with a paste of orthoform and water,
or orthoform and alcohol ; or the socket may be
filled with either the paste or the dry powder, and
the orifice sealed with a ball of cotton-wool saturated
with mastic or sandarach vai'nish. In some cases