EXTRACTION OF TEETH. 8 1 



instruments ; when the interior is affected a speculum must be 

 used. As a rule the tartar shells off quite easily. The teeth 

 are then cleansed by the application of some tooth powder or 

 mouth wash on cotton wool or on an ordinary tooth-brush. 



Extraction. — In extracting a tooth care must always be taken 

 to get a firm grip as far up the fang as possible, pushing the 

 points of the forceps well under the gum into the alveolar 

 cavity. The offending organ is then loosened in its socket by 

 a few lateral movements, and withdrawn by being pulled in 

 a direction which is continuous with the fang or fangs. It 

 pulled in a direction out of this straight line, unless the tooth 

 is very loose, the crown is apt to be broken off. Canines are 



Fig. 49. 

 iShowiiig different patterns of tooth forcei's. 



probably the most difficult to extract, and milk teeth always 

 require very delicate handling, or they will break off and a 

 portion be left in the gum. A mouth speculum may or may 

 not have to be used, depending upon the position and con- 

 dition of the tooth to be extracted. When a general anaes- 

 thetic is administered, care must be taken that no blood or 

 other foreign body finds its way down the trachea. 



The insertion of false teeth has been successfully attempted 

 by Mr Edward Mosely, L.D.S., in conjunction with the author,^ 

 the subject being an aged Schipperke whose teeth had almost 

 all disappeared. The only remaining ones were four canines. 



'Journal of Comparative Pathology and Therapeutics," Vol. X., p. 3(12. 



