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EBOSION OF THE TEETH. 41

case the progress of erosion ceases, the sensitiveness of the
exposed dentin soon disappears also, and the dentin may become
discolored. All of these points must be considered in making
a diagnosis of erosion. It will be seen from the foregoing that
the one fact of loss of substance without apparent mechanical
cause, leaving a smooth, glossy surface in dentin, or in enamel,
or in both, is the distinguishing feature of erosion.

FREQUENCE OF EKOSION.
As to frequence of occurrence, erosion is rare as compared
with caries. Formerly my estimate of this was that less than
one person per thousand had erosion of their teeth. Certainly
it was very rare among my patients in Jacksonville, Illinois,
though I saw a good many more than my proper share through
consultations. For some years after I began teaching operative
dentistry, and had opportunity to see the larger proportion of
the patients in the clinic, they still were not plentiful. Finally
I asked the Examiner to call my attention to every case he could
find among those applying for treatment of any kind. This
brought out so much larger proportion of cases as to cause me
to believe that many had been overlooked previously. It is prob-
able that very many cases are overlooked by practitioners. The
evidence on this point, however, remains very uncertain.
Among the patients applying at our clinic, about one per
cent of erosion is found. These people are mostly friends of
the students. They are not of the very poor nor of the wealthy.
I find among them erosion of every variety of form that I have
seen elsewhere, but the roimded cuts across the teeth that tend
to become stationary, or cease to progress, seem to be in the
majority. Many of these cases stop spontaneously before any
considerable injury is done.
Erosion is much more frequent in some certain classes of
people than in others. Considerable inquiry has been made
among practitioners regarding this. Some seldom see a case,
while others find it very frequent. E specially those whose practice
is confined closely to very well-to-do people find it most frequent,
and of a character to do the greatest injury. One practitioner
who has a practice among well-to-do Jewish people stated that
all of his patients had erosion and insisted that that was literally
correct. I then asked him to take as many casts as he could for
me. Within a few weeks he turned over so many that his state-
ment seemed to be fully justified. Not many practitioners can
make casts of fifty to seventy cases of erosion from their own