Page 29 - My FlipBook

THE RELIEF OF PAIN 13
which is difficult to relieve, owing to these stones
forming a barrier to the absorption of whatever
remedy may be applied. Two distinct causes of
pain may exist in a tooth that has more than one
root-canal. One canal may contain a highly in-
flamed pulp, and in the other one the pulp may
be dead and in a septic state. These conditions
will be still further complicated if there is much
formation of secondary dentine. It is always advis-
able, "whenever it is possible to do so, to ascertain
the exact conditions by free excavation, for in these
cases the pulp in the crown of the tooth (or pulp-
chamber) will be either dead or have turned itself
into secondary dentine.
Bhizodontro'pliy is the operation of relieving pain
due to a dead pulp, or preventing its recurrence
after fillmg in these cases, by drilling a small hole
into the pulp-chamber, just under the free edge of
the gum, usually on the buccal or labial surface, and
at right angles to the long axis of the tooth, thus
forming a vent for the escape of the gases of decom-
position, and sometimes pus.
Some operators, instead of cleansing and filling
roots, perform rhizodontrophy whenever called upon
to fill pulpless teeth, or to save the trouble of
drilling out a filling and treating the roots when
a pulp has died under a filling. This is a slovenly