TEETH. 



fpontinpoufly becomes fixed again, if care be taken to 

 ufc an allringent gaigle with a view of making the gum 



contraft. , , , 



2. The infertion of a proper tooth that has a canous 

 fang. Wlion the tootli, which has been removed from the 

 alveoli, is merely carious in the fang, it may. be replaced 

 again, after the carious part has been filed away. 



3. The infertion of a proper tooth, which has a caries 

 of its body or crown. When a very fmall portion of the 

 crown is carious, it may be removed with a file, and the 

 tooth can then be put into its fockct again. But if the 

 whole body lie difeafed, it may be cut off tranfverfely from 

 the root ; a fmall hole may be drilled acrofs the latter part, 

 and, with the Iielp of a golden wire, an artificial crown or 

 body, having alfo a tranfverfe hole for the paffage of the 

 wire, may be faftened to tlie root. In this ftate, the tooth 

 may be replaced. 



4. The infertion of a tooth taken from the mouth of 

 another living fubjeft, or from a dead fubject. The perfon, 

 to whom the tooth is to be transferred, (hould not be above 

 the age of forty ; but the fubjeft, from whom it is to be 

 taken, ought not to be more than four-and-twenty. The 

 tranfplaiited tooth fhould belong to the fame jaw and fide of 

 the face, and be of the fame fliape and fize, as the tooth 

 that is extrafted. 



The canal of the tooth, which is to be inferted, muft be 

 clofed with gold ; and the tooth muft be every where ren- 

 dered free from inequalities, fo that it may be the more 

 likely to adhere. 



5. The infertion of an artificial tooth. The form and 

 fize which fliould be given to the artificial tooth muft be 

 determined by a model of foft red wax, which has been 

 prefied into the gap made by the loft tooth. In order that 

 the white colour of the artificial tooth may correfpond to 

 the light yellowifli colour of the reft of the teeth, the new 

 tooth fhould be macerated in ftrong coffee, or in the lees of 

 red wine. 



Artificial teeth ought to be made of ivory, or of the tooth 

 of the hippopotamus. Each of them fhould be grooved on 

 both fides, and perforated tranfverfely, fo as to admit of 

 being tied to the neighbouring teeth. The noofes of two 

 tlireads are to be faftened on the neighbouring teeth, and 

 the ends having been drawn tranfverfely through the hole 

 of the artificial tooth, and there made to decuffate, they are 

 to be tied in a furgeon's knot. The tooth having been 

 placed in the focket, the threads betwixt the artificial and 

 old teeth muft be tightened and made faft. Laftly, an 

 aftringent gargle muft be ufed for a few days. 



6. The infertion of feveral artificial teeth. When two, 

 three, or a larger number of contiguous teeth are wanting, 

 an equal ninnber muft be formed of one piece of ivory, or 

 other fubftance, and faftened at once to the neighbouring 

 teeth. 



7. The infertion of a whole fet of artificial teeth. When 

 all the teeth of the upper and lower jaws are loft, a com- 

 plete fet may be fixed on the margins of the alveolary 

 arches. Should any of the natural teeth remain, they may 

 often be of great affiftance, in rendering tlie lodgment of 

 the artificial ones more firm and fecure. When the whole, 

 or the greater part, of the teeth of either jaw is loft, an 

 attificial fet may alfo be inferted. 



The cuftom of wearing ivory teeth, and of binding tliem 

 in with a gold wire, is very ancient : Lucian and Martial 

 fpeak of it as praftifed among the Romans. Bat ligatures 

 of wire have been found to hurt the natural teeth, with 

 which the artificial are connefted ; whereas filken twift 

 cannot affeft them to any confidcrable degree for feveral 

 years. 



Guilleman gives us the compofition of a parte for making 

 artificial' teeth, which will never grow yellow : the com- 

 pofition is white wax granulated, and melted with a little 

 gum elemi, adding powder of white maftich, coral, and 

 pearl. 



Thus whole fets may be made for one or both jaws, £b 

 well fitted to admit of the neceffary motions, and fo con- 

 veniently retained in their proper fituation, by means of 

 fprings, that they will anfwer every purpofe of natural 

 teeth, and may be taken out, cleaned, and replaced by the 

 patient himfelf with great eafe. 



IVearing out of the Enamel. — (See Cranium.) The 

 bodies of the grinding teeth being wide, exceffively hard, 

 and expofed to perpetual friction, they become worn much 

 fooner than the rei\ of the teeth, and fiat in confequence of 

 the deftruftion of their points. Halleri Element. Phyfiol. 

 t. vi. p. 29. 



With i-efpeft to the effefts of the lofs of the enamel, it is 

 to be obferved, that the teeth which ai-e deprived of it be- 

 come fo fenfible, that painful fenfations are produced in them 

 by heat and cold, and by fohd as well as liquid aliment. In 

 the end, alfo, they readily become carious. ^ 



The fpecies of this affeClion depend upon the caufes. 



1. Lofs of the enamel from age. After the age of thii-ty, 

 almoft all the teeth in the human fubjeft have been fomewhat 

 worn by long maftication. Some writers affert, that in 

 youth, the wafte of the enamel may be repaired by nature ; 

 but if the teeth be deftitute of vafculai-ity, the evil mufl 

 be always irreparable. See Cranium. 



2. Lofs of the enamel from gnafhing of the teeth. Per- 

 fons who in tlie night are in the habit of gnafhing their teeth 

 deftroy the enamel. For the purpofe of preventing the ill 

 confequences of this praftice, it has even been recommended 

 to cover the teeth in the night-time with a thin gold 

 plate. • 



3. Deftruftion of the enamel by the life of tobacco- 

 pipes. Plenck informs us, that in the incifor teeth of men, 

 who had for many years been accuftomed to fmoke pipes, 

 he has feen the diftinft imprefiion of a black femicircle. 



4. Lofs of the enamel from long and violent brulhing 

 of the teeth. They who daily rub and brufli their 

 teeth forcibly with a rough hard tooth-powder, or too 

 ftiff a brufh, inevitably deftroy, in the courfe of a few 

 years, all the enamel on the front furface of the teeth. 

 Here the cure obvioufly depends upon the avoidance of the 

 caufe. 



5. Lofs of the enamel from applying the file to the 

 teeth. Whenever this operation is carried to too confidcr- 

 able a depth, the enamel is removed by mechanical violence. 



6. Lofs of the enamel from biting a very hard body. 

 This fort of violence fometimes fplits the enamel, which im- 

 mediately falls off in pieces, at the very time of making 

 the bite. 



7. Lofs of the enamel from its being preternaturally 

 brittle. When the enamel is thus affefted, it is apt to break. 

 in chewing and biting fubftances without the exertion of any 

 particular degree of force. 



8. Lofs of the enamel from the projeftion of an oppofite 

 tooth. A tooth which juts out confiderably, fo wears the 

 correfponding tooth in the oppofite jaw, as to make a deep 

 imprefiion in it. The treatment confifts in fhortening the 

 tooth, which is injurious on account of its length, with a file. 



Concretion of feveral of the Teeth into one Mafs. — A true 

 anchylofis of the teeth cannot happen from any procefs like 

 offification, becaufe they poffefs no vafcularity ; and fome 

 of the cafes, referred to by writers, were probably original 

 malformation. 



There arc feveral varieties fpecified. 



I. The 



