Page 368 - My FlipBook

364 EXTRACTION OF TEETH. —

experienced operator will, in most cases, determine
very accurately the size, shape, and position of the

roots by the peculiarities of the crown ; and the at-
tention of the young practitioner should be directed
very closely to this point, till he is able to arrive at
accurate conclusions. For the removal of these teeth,
there are forceps with thick, peculiarly-formed beaks,
constructed to take advantage of the conical shape of
the roots. The instrument is placed on the tooth at
the border of the alveolus, or, if need be, a little be-
yond it ; and then, the process having been first cut
away, firm compression is made on the handle of the

instrument, and thus great pressure on two sides of the
root,—which are relatively as two inclined planes,
by which the tooth is forced directly from its socket,
without either the oscillating or the rotary motion.
This instrument is rarely ever applicable to the re-
moval of any other teeth than the second bicuspids,
and occasionally the central incisors, and then only
when the roots are very tapering. The roots of the
bicuspids, especially the second, are usually not diffi-
cult to remove. Sometimes, however, the first bicus-
pids have two well-formed roots, somewhat divergent,

that are difficult to remove, especially if the decay
has eaten away till there is little of the tooth left for
the instrument to take hold upon. But, frequently,
if one of the contiguous teeth is absent, a lateral
seizure will remove the root at once.