Page 267 - My FlipBook

What ivill zve do for iff There is only one thing to do,
and that is to protect the case as absolutely as possible from
thermal changes until it recovers. That may be done in
various ways. In some of the worst cases I have put caps
of gutta-percha over the teeth involved, covering them in
completely, particularly with persons who must be out in the
cold air, and where I could not otherwise induce persons to
protect them from thermal changes. The patient himself, or
herself, may protect the teeth from thermal changes ; they
may avoid cold or hot drinks ; they may avoid cold or hot
foods ; they may avoid breathing through the mouth, and in
this way protect the teeth, and it is very much the best way
to protect them from thermal changes. If we put gutta-
percha caps over the teeth they will be very annoying, and
it is often difificult to induce patients to wear them.
Cases of very severe thermal sensitiveness will get well
if properly protected, generally promptly, within a week or
ten days. Sometimes, however, it may require more time,
and wherever we find them developed to any extraordinary
degree, so as to be very annoying, we should desist from all
operations upon that tooth except those calculated to miti-
gate this condition. If it has occurred from a cavity of decay

it is best to remove all decayed dentin completely, so as to
remove the irritation caused by the irritants in the decaying
mass. When the cavity is prepared do not make a filling,
but make a temporary filling of gutta-percha, and be
sure you make a tight filling. Have the walls dry first,
and moisten them with eucalyptol, so as to have your gutta-
percha adhere and make your filling tight. This is the best
treatment, for gutta-percha is the best non-conductor we
have with which to make these temporary fillings. A gold
filling at that time would be the worst thing that could be
done. Then await the cure of this condition before making
any other operations upon that tooth, and if it is severe avoid
any operations whatever in the mouth until that tooth shall
have recovered, or at least any operations that are not abso-
lutely necessary at the time.
Now, this condition often ends in death of the pulp from
strangulation or infarction. To-day the tooth may be ex-
tremely sensitive to thermal changes ; to-morrow the pulp
may be dead and this sensitiveness may have disappeared

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