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FILLING TEETH 83

such a manner that then* permanent preservation is
entirely in your own hands : " but it is no more
possible to carry out this method to the complete
satisfaction of both operator and patient in every
case, or in the majority of cases, than it is possible
to fill every cavity with gold with complete satis-
faction to all parties. Extension for prevention
is more necessary in the bicuspid and molar region,
than in the incisors and cuspids, for the simple reason
that the margins of non-extended cavities—meaning
such as are only extended for access as opposed to
prevention—in front teeth are not so prone to de-
cay, and because extension for prevention in front
teeth may destroy their appearance. It should also
be remembered that the proper extending of a cavity
in an incisor or cuspid, as well as in other positions,
prolongs the pain of the operation, and unless this
extending is absolutely necessary, it is unwise to
push the endurance of a good patient to an extreme.
Non-extended cavities in the front teeth, if
well filled with gold, usually last sufficiently long
to induce an operator to content himself Avith
merely extension for access. The comparatively
frequent failure of gold fillings in approximal
cavities in bicuspids and molars that are not ex-
tended for prevention, makes the question of
whether it is worth while to use gold entirely