Page 127 - My FlipBook

THE FILE. 123

treatment of irregularity; but for this purpose it is
now, or should be, abandoned.
Mode of Using the File.—The patient should be
conveniently seated, with the head on a firm support,
and under the control of the operator, who should
occupy a position at the right of the patient in most
cases, so disposing the head of the latter as to give
the free access to that point which is to be operated
upon. In manipulating with the file, considerable

skill and delicacy are requisite. It should not be
held with a stiff, unyielding grasp, so as to catch and
jar, but should be applied with a gentle pressure, and
drawn across the tooth with a free and flexible
motion. It should be frequently moistened, and not
allowed to clog with the filings, being kept free of
these by constant applications of the brush. A
sharp, new file, with a quick, light movement, will

cut far more rapidly, and less unpleasantly to the
patient, than one that is dull or clogged, applied
with a heavy pressure. If the tooth bone is sensi-
tive, the file should be moistened in warm water.
When a file has become clogged with the dentine, it
may be perfectly cleaned by immersing it a few
hours in dilute hydrochloric acid, and then washing,
boiling, and finishing with oil. The form of a file
may be changed by drawing the temper, bending it
as desired, and then re-tempering it. It is better.