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FINISHING FILLINGS. 179

FINISHING FILLINGS.

The method of finishing a filling, and the manipu-
lation required, will depend somewhat on its locality.
When the filling has been thoroughly consolidated
over all the surface, and especially all round its

border, the file should be applied to dress off any
projecting portion, and render it smooth. In consoli-
dating the surface, an instrument should be used that
would not pit it, and the file should remove all inden-
tations. The work of the file, however, should be
but partially performed at first, and the surface
burnished again. To obtain the most perfect finish,

the surface should be brought to a uniform consist-
ence ; and this condition can not be reached by the
use of sharp-pointed instruments, nor fully by that of
the blunt plugger at the first effort, but by the alter-
nate use of the file, the blunt condenser, and the
burnisher. A coarse file should be employed in this
part of the process ; but when the filling is dressed
sufficiently, and in good condition, the fine file should
be used, alternately with the burnisher, till a perfectly
uniform surface is obtained. In all cases, after the

file has been applied, the plug should be washed off
with a brush, to remove all detached pieces of gold,
before the burnisher is put upon it ; and after the