Page 26 - My FlipBook

' ;

22 INTKODUCTION.

The alveolus, too, becomes diseased, and in some in-
stances its death and exfoliation result. Salivary cal-
culus, however, never induces caries of the teeth, nor
even favors it; except by inducing disease in the
surrounding parts. On the contrary, we frequently
meet with instances of decay entirely arrested by a
deposit of tartar in the cavity.

Persons of all ages are subject to this affection
those past middle life being most so, and those
advanced in years sometimes having teeth nearly
covered with tartar. Occasionally to such an extent

Fig. 1.

do the roots become invested with it that the teeth
drop from the sockets. There are some constitutions
whose diathesis is favorable to a deposition of sali-
vary calculus through life. Others, again, will be

entirely exempt from it till some peculiar constitu-
tional change intervenes, when it will begin to be
rapidly eliminated.
Method of removing it.-—The removal of salivary
calculus is an operation that does not involve a great