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212 CLASSIFICATION OF DECAYED CAVITIES.

make the separation, no shoulder should be left at the
neck of the tooth that is not to be protected by filling;
any projection of that kind is always objectionable:
foreign substances lodge upon and adhere to it, and,
becoming vitiated, render it very liable to decay. The
cutting should always extend entirely beyond the

decay, but only far enough to make a perfectly plain
border to all the cavity, and should terminate without
any projection. It is highly important, in separating
the anterior teeth, to make as little alteration as pos-
sible in their form. But the preservation of the tooth
should not be jeopardized for the sake of maintaining
the integrity of its natural form. The first consider-
ation should be to obtain a space sufficient for the
purposes of a perfect operation; the second, to have

the walls and border of the cavity in such a condition
that an efficient filling can be made; and the form and
beauty of the tooth should be scrupulously preserved
and protected so far as the above requirements will
permit.
The excavation of these cavities requires very deli-
cate and skillful manipulation, since they are very
readily injured by cutting too much or at a wrong
point. All decayed and discolored portions must be
entirely removed, as well for the appearance of the
tooth as for the permanency of the operation; after
which the cavity is to be formed with great care. At