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20 INTRODUCTION.

of saliva, are most subject to the deposition of tartar;
yet there are conditions of almost all constitutions,
in which it is freely eliminated. That it is precipi-
tated from the saliva, is a fact so easily demonstrated

and so generally admitted, that it need not here be
considered.
Points of Deposit.—The points at which salivary
calculus is deposited in the greatest quantities upon
the teeth, are in the vicinity of the orifices of the sali-
vary ducts ; and hence it is found most abundant on
the lingual surfaces of the inferior anterior teeth, and
on the buccal surfaces of the superior molars. Fre-
quently, also, it collects in considerable quantities

upon the external surfaces of the inferior front teeth.
The points upon the teeth to which it most readily
attaches, are at the necks, immediately beneath the
free margin of the gum, and at the termination of the
enamel where it is thickest. A nucleus once formed,
and it encroaches upon the crown of the tooth, if no
means are employed to prevent its lodgment, at a
rate determined by the condition of the saliva.
It is deposited first and most abundantly on the
necks of the teeth, because here the saliva first comes
in contact with these organs, and here remains for
the longest periods and in the largest quantities.
That it is precipitated very soon after the saliva

enters the mouth, is evident from the fact that it is