TEETH. 



^. Tlic iiAt curious circumftancc whicli we have to 

 rotice, is the ^owth of-tceth in the ovaries. It is now be- 

 Kevtd, that the teeth fometinies found in thcfe organs, arc 

 not always the relics of a previous embryo, but may be 

 formed tfiere as a lufus naturj^. An iuftance, in which a 

 tooth was formed in an encyfted fwcllmg in the orbit, has 

 been lately recorded by Mr. Barnes of Exeter. See Medico- 

 Chir. Tranf. 



4. Albinus records an example, m which a tooth grew out 

 of the maxillary proccfs below the orbit. It was concealed 

 until it made its way out in tliis extraordinary fituation. 

 Annot. Acad. t. i. p. 54. 



e. The teeth have fomctimes been obfervcd inverted, 

 their bodies being fituated towards the jaw. Poilich, 

 Increm. OlTium, p. 25. Albin. c. 9. Palfin, c. 9. 



Exlraordinayy Dijlance of theTeelh from each other — Somer 

 times the teeth are placed too diftant apart, fo that between 

 their crowns large intcrfpaces are left. 



1. In children three years of age, the crowns of the milk- 

 teeth are fo clofe to each other, that they are laterally as it 

 were in contaft ; but in children feven years old, there are 

 wide interfpaces between them. The reafon of tliis is 

 owing to the iaw increafing in fize, while the dimenfioiis of 

 the teeth undergo no alteration. The fecond or permanent 

 teeth, on the other hand, (at leaft the firft twenty of them,) 

 liave larger bodies than the milk-fet. 



2. Fnquently the tartar infinuates itfelf between the 

 crowns of the teeth, and occafions a confiderable feparation ' 

 of them. We need fcarcely obferve, that the cure requires 

 that the tartar fhould be taken off, and the teeth reduced 

 into their natural pofition. 



3. The deformity of which we are now treating, is occa- 

 fionally afcrib.ible in adult fubjefts to the preternatural 

 breadth of the jaw, in which circumftance it is abfolutely 

 incurable. 



Extraordinary Chfemfs of the Teeth — The teeth may be 

 too crowded together, fo that their crowns are laterally in 

 contaft. This d»f«'ft may extend to feme or all the teeth. 

 The frequent conf-quence is, that the lateral margins of 

 thefe parts b"come carious. 



There are two fpecies of the diforder. 



1. The firft arifes from the gi-eat width of the crowns of the 

 teeth, and it may be afcertained by oculai- examination. 

 In fome inftances, all the bodies of the teeth are preter- 

 natnrally wide ; in others, only a certain number of them. 



The mode of cure confifts in filing off" a little of the lateral 

 edges of tlr.' teeth affected. 



2. The fecond fpecies is caufed by the uncommon (hort- 

 nefs of the jaw. It may be known by obferving that the 

 crowns of the teeth ai-e not too large, and that the alveolary 

 arches are ftrikingly diminutive. 



Here the mode of relief is the fame as in the foregoing 

 cafe. 



Extraordinary Number of Teeth. — Sometimes the number 

 of the teeth exceeds what is the ufual (hare of the human 

 fpecies in general ; and this particularly occurs whenever the 

 number amounts to more than thirty-two.- Columbus has 

 feen thirty-three (p. 34. ) ; Fauchart, thirty-three and thirty- 

 four (edit. 2. torn. i. p. 3.>; Boui-det, thirty-fix (p. 25.); 

 and Ingi-aflias, thirty-fix, including twenty-four grinders. 

 Text 2. 



1. With refpeft to the redundant number of each clafs, it 

 i» when ther-" are fix incifores, or four canine teeth, or more 

 than ten molares in one jaw. The cafe is incurable. 



2. In fome inftances, the exceffive number is owing to 

 there being a double row of teeth. This malformation may 

 ihappen to both jaws, or be confined to one. It has been 



noticed in both jaws by Munick, p. 144; Plinius, e. xi. 

 p. 623 ; C. Bartholinus, p. 464, &c. 



Arnold met with a boy, fourteen years old, who had al- 

 together feventy-two teeth in his mouth. There was a 

 double fet of the incifores, canine teeth, and three pofterior 

 grinders ; but the anterior grinders were triple : confe- 

 quently there were counted in each jaw eight incifores, two 

 canine on each fide, and twelve molares. The incifores were 

 not arranged in an even double row, but each row feemed 

 iiTegular, and its order as it were promifcuous. The ar- 

 rangement of the canine and grinding teeth was more regular. 

 None of thefe teeth were affedled with caries. Obf. Phyf. 

 Med. p. 69. 



3. Thrre may be a larger number of teeth than common, 

 in confequence of the prefence of one of the milk-teeth ; for 

 when the latter does not fall out at the ufu.il period, the cor- 

 refponding permanent teeth come out in the vicinity of it. 



Here the cure confifts in drawing the fuperfluous milk- 

 tooth. 



Deju'ient Number of Teeth. — Sometimes the number of the 

 teeth falls ftiort of what is ufual ; and this happens whenever 

 they are fewer in the adult fubjctl than thirty-two. 



1. Tlie defedlive number may be owing to a preternatural 

 fhortnefs of tlie jaw. Sometimes one or more teeth remain 

 concealed during life. Thus, the dentes fapientia are never 

 cut in pcrfons who have the upper or lower alveolary arch 

 not fufficiently long. 



2. The fex alfo makes a difference ; women, generally 

 fpeaking, having fewer teeth, than belong to men. Riolan, 

 p. 38, and 39. 



3. The deficiency in the number may proceed from a 

 tooth having been drawn, or di-opped out. This is evi- 

 dently a caf ' wliich can only be remedied by the infertion o£. 

 an artificial tooth. 



4. Laftly, the limitation of the number may be owing to 

 infancy ; for, in children under feven years of age, the na- 

 tural number of the teeth does not exceed twenty. 



Obliquity of the Teeth. — The pofition of fome or all the 

 teeth may bv oblique ; an inconvenience which may be 

 caufed by the milk-teeth not being ftied, by tartar infinu- 

 ating itfelf into the interfpaces of the teeth, by loofenefs of 

 the alveoli, and, laftly, by a forcible luxation of the teeth 

 affefted. The milk-teeth feldom grow obliquely ; the per- 

 manent ones do fo much more frequeiitly. The molares 

 hardly ever rife in a wrong direftion ; and, in general, they 

 are only the incifores and canine teeth which deviate from 

 the right pofition. 



With regard to the effefts of fuch obliquity, we have ta 

 obferve, thafthe teeth affected impede maftication, interfere 

 with the articulation of words, ferioufly disfigure the cou«- 

 tenance, and, unlefs .drawn, or replaced in their natural po- 

 fition, may occafion incurable ulcers on the tongue, lips, or 

 cheeks. 



The differences of the obliquity make thefe cafes divifible 

 into feveral kinds. 



1. The obliquity fcM-ward is when the tooth projefts an-' 

 teriorly, fo as to hurt the cheek or lipSi Such a tooth may 

 caufe ulceration of thefe parts, as already m:.itioned. The 

 paiotid duft has been known to be perforated, and a fali-. 

 vary fiftula brought on, by an oblique tooth in the upper 

 jaw. Pafch, 1. c. p. 71. 



2. The obliquity backward is when the pofition of the 

 tooth inclines towards the centre or pofterior part of the 

 mouth, fo as to be capable of hurting the tongue. Teeth, 

 fo circumftanced, have fometimes been the caufe of ulcers 011 

 the tongue, which in point of obftinacy and malignancy have 

 truly vied with cancer. Plenck informs us, that by draw- 

 ing 



