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80 GENERAL REMARKS ON FILLING.

piecemeal. Non-adhesive material is retained by the

general form of the cavity, which is to be shaped so
as to bind all the pieces together, and thus hold them

in place ; but a substance that will weld, requires only
two or three good retaining points, angles, or pits,
properly situated, in order to be firmly and perma-
nently fixed in a cavity of any form.
Color.—Another desirable property of material for
filling, is, such a color as shall best harmonize with
that of the teeth, particularly if they are in front. In
this respect, all the metals are objectionable ; though

gold is probably less so than any of the others, the
objection to this being not so much in its color as in
its luster ; which objection, however, may be partially
obviated by the kind of finish given to the work. In
teeth of certain shades—semitransparent bluish white,
for instance — gold, for exposed fillings, is very objec-
tionable ; indeed, in some cases, almost as unsightly
as the absence of the tooth ; and, in such instances, the
darker metals would of course appear much worse.
For such teeth, some mineral substances, having more
nearly the color of the teeth, would be most desirable.
Most of the materials employed for filling are metal-

lic; only a few non-metallic substances have been
used, and these rather by way of experiment, and for
temporary purposes, than with any hope of permanent
results. Of the metals, gold possesses more of the