Page 134 - My FlipBook

130 SEPARATION OF THE TEETH

proximal cavities without any separation at all, by
operating through a small opening at the crown angle
of the tooth, or a small hole drilled through its outer
or inner portion. With the heavy cutting instru-
ments, points upon the teeth, that the file cannot
touch, are approached and operated upon with facility.
But the method of separation by pressure is, in
many cases, to be preferred, especially in the case of
anterior teeth, whose natural form it is important to

preserve.
Till within comparatively a recent period, it has
been the general practice to separate by gradual pres-
sure ; and it is even yet the favorite method with
many operators. But in almost all cases where
separation is to be made by pressure, it can be done
at once quite as well, if not better, than to prolong
the process through several days ; there is economy
of time, and the patient has far less to endure, and
there is less liability of doing injury to the teeth or
the parts about them.
The anterior teeth, or those of single roots, yield
very readily to a strong separating force, applied in
the form of a wedge, notwithstanding the teeth may

all be in contact with each other; though in some
cases the teeth are so firmly set, and the parts about
them so dense and unyielding, that it is with great
difficulty they can be moved, without too much