15* 



THE MICROSCOPE. 



of the process. The character of the disease being governed by the 

 condition; the tone; the quality of the resistive forces to disease in the 

 general system, and secondarily by the local conditions such as the den- 

 sity of the dental tissues, their abnormal structural formation; crowded 

 condition in the maxillary arch; their neglect in the matter of clean- 

 liness, etc. Acute inflammation of the pulp usually results by ex- 

 posure under rapid caries. But under the moderately and slowly 

 progressing decay the conditions and results are markedly different. 

 The condition is often one of chronic or low form of inflammation 

 that results finally in death without having given a particle of pain. 

 In the slower forms of decay the encroaching process is often met 

 by secondary formations of dentine, the pulp meanwhile receding, 

 or the pulp independent of its connection with the walls of dentine 

 becomes ossified, eburnified or dentified, wholly or in part; if in 

 part the calcification occurs in oblate, globular or oval masses. 

 These abnormal changes may go on indefinitely without causing 

 acute inflammation. Certain changes that occur in teeth under- 

 going slow decay can be observed clinically much better in the 

 incisor teeth than in those of cuspid, bicuspid and multicuspid form. 



It is very often that through ignorance or neglect the upper 

 incisors have been undergoing decay for a long period. The at- 

 tention of the dentist is called to them when they have begun to 

 respond sharply to variations of temperature. Knowing the expan- 

 sibility of sulpheretted hydrogen gases, the dentist applies the 

 usual thermal tests and is suspicious of a decomposing pulp, but a 

 careful cutting of the dentine at its point of union with the enamel 

 dispels the idea of decomposition, for in many such cases it will be 

 found hyper sensitive. The cavity above its margins is carefully cleared 

 of its dark colored decay, the operation being quite painful to the 

 patient. Reflected strong light through the tooth will reveal some- 

 times considerable opaqueness — often considered a reliable 

 diagnostic sign of dead pulp. The introduction of a non-conduct- 

 ing filling material will soon prove the fact that the pulp is not de- 

 composed a particle, for the trouble immediately ceases. 



I have purposely prefaced what I wished to give concerning 

 this subject microscopically, by the clinical facts, so that it would be 

 more interesting to dentists who ' use the microscope in their 

 studies. 



Recently I had to remove molateral incisors for an individual 



