EXTRACTION OF TEETH. 3 



In applying the forceps to the tooth have an assistant draw 

 the tongue well out at the commissure of the lips on the side 

 opposite to the affected member and introducing one hand 

 into the mouth, place the index finger on the posterior 

 border of the diseased tooth and with the other hand push 

 the opened forceps backwards upon the tooth row until they 

 reach the finger, then firmly grasp the affected tooth with 

 the instrument, pressing the jaws down as deeply as possible 

 against the alveolus. In many cases the diseased tooth can 

 be clearly seen especially with the aid of the reflecting lamp 

 and the forceps readily applied with visual aid and is fre- 

 quently preferable to the guide of touch. Withdraw the 

 free hand from the. mouth, grasp the handles with both 

 hands and loosen the tooth in its alveolus by establishing 

 and maintaining as long as necessary a gentle to and fro 

 lateral movement. The tooth is thus loosened in its alveolus 

 by causing it to revolve very slightly back and forth on its 

 long axis. When the tooth has become well loosened, as 

 indicated by its moving with the forceps and by the audible 

 crackling sound caused by the passage of air bubbles to and 

 fro through the blood and lymph in the alveolus ; maintain 

 the forceps in position with one hand and with the other 

 introduce the fulcrum as far back as possible in the case of 

 molars and place it with the plane surface resting upon the 

 crowns of the teeth as shown in Plate I. The fulcrum 

 needs be held firmly in place in order to prevent it from 

 gliding forward under pressure. 



The tooth fang is extracted by forcing the handles of 

 the forceps toward the jaw in which it is located, so that 

 as it is gradually drawn out the forceps tend to glide over 

 the convex surface of the fulcrum in a way to permit the 

 tooth to emerge from the alveolus in the direction of the 

 long axis of the latter. By referring to Plate III it will be 

 seen that the axes of the different teeth vary, that of the 

 molars being obliquely forwards toward the incisors while 

 the crowns of the premolars are directed obliquely back- 



