Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-09-19
Communication from Palmer. the Dentist.

I wish to say to all whom it NAV concern, that the re-
ports which have been put in circulation that I had
quit business; that l did not fill teeth, OF had moved
out OF town, &c, are false, and untrue The facts IN
the case, are simply these: that / sold my place Oppo-
ste the Gaskill House, TO the Cleveland q Mahoning
X X Company, and bought in the upper part Of town,
upon what is best known as the Turnpike. Office
on the right hand side, opposite ERKIN PLACE
where L have at this time, very pleasant and conven-
lent rooms, where 1 may be found prepared to perform
any operation which may be wanted in my way Of BUSH
ness.
And here it may be proper to explain what my
aim has been in my business, and what / most wished
to do. In all my intercourse for fifteen years, 1 have
striven to communicate and inculcate correct views and
principles concerning the teeth; to put the community
upon their guard against fraud and imposition; to use
the best materials; TO be mOstcorrect in my advice and
operations; preferTing to refuse rather than go CONTRA
~ to that which 1 knew to be correct. For the future,
1 design to give particular attention to the preserva-
ton Of the natural teeth, that being the most important
consideration in dentistry, and l wish to make a clear
impression upon this point alone. People should ex-
anime their teeth infinitely. and upon the first appear
anee Of decay, have them perfectly filled with Gold,
that being the best and only material which should be
used in general Tin foil may be used in certain cases,
but all other kinds of filing, such as cements, mineral
pastes, amalgams of tin and mercury, silver and mer-
curry, and in short, every compound and mixture which
may be offered for that purpose, must be readily denied
and discarded, pure gold being the only reliable mate
rial, and that must be Of the best manufactured quality.
In this, in part. lies the great success of my hllings.-
The gold foil which l have used ever since I have been
in the practice Of Dentistry, has been obtained first
handed from the best mandatory that is known, and
CO Is me some eight dollars more, per ounce, than that
which others are in the habit of using
Parents should carefully examine the teeth Of their
children It is a very common thing to find the teeth
decayed at the age of six years. little prompt at
tentiOn will benefit them more than they could in al
most any other way.
Every person that means to take care Of his
teeth, should have them examined by a Dentist,
as often as every three, and not to exceed six months,
for in this length of time, a valuable tooth may decay
past repairing. Examinations and advice, are always
free of charge with me, so that persons can come at any
time, and ascertain what they mead to have done, with
out cost
People all over the country have got too much in
the notion Of having their teeth pulled out, to have
artificial substitutes upon Gold Plates. There are hun
dreds Of cases, where it is done. that is entirely
wrong. By the extraction Of the teeth, a loss Of the ma
tural fullness and expression of the mouth is produced
which no artificial substitute can ever supply. II young
persons only knew this fact, they would make it a last
and only resort. For this reason, they should have the
advice Of those who have had the greatest experience
in the profession.
I have now before me, two lateral incisor teeth,
which a lady in this place had extracted with the
view Of having two others upon plate in their
place. The fault must have been in the Dentist, and
must have been one of two things. He must hav known
no better, or have been unprincipled enough to do so in
order to get two more teeth to insert for these teeth
were as good with slight filling, as any the lady had in
her mouth. This L give as a case Of extracting. for
plate teeth, when the person would have been benefited
iby correct advice.
/ Still another case, in a different way. A young
man in this place, made application to me to have
two front teeth filed 1 could not attend to it just
at the time, and he went to another person and
had those two teeth, with several others, filled at a low
rate, he surprising that all was right but in a shor;
time he had to go back, and have them re-hned. and al
to 20 purpose, but To injure the teeth, and lose the mo-
nOy spent upon them He afterwards came % me-
1 found from the improper manner in which the teeth
had been treated, that their nerves had been carelessly
or ignorantly exposed by the person who had attempt
ed to fill them, and the result had been a swollen face,
and alveOlar assesses, causing the destruction Of the
nerves of both teeth. The treatment which 1 fonnd ne
CESAR for these two teeth alone, cost the young man
six dollars, where it should only cost two, had L filed
them in the first place. In all, he lost some seven or
eight dollars, besides the suffering and injury done the
teeth by two or three times filing. I could enumerate
other cases, but this may suffice for this time.
1t has been said of me, that I make too high charges.
That is untrue. 1 am governed in that respect by the
first in the profession. Dentistry is not a trade, or ira
ding business 1t is a scientific profession, partaking
more Of su gerry than mechanism. A person may prac
tice upon a piece of mechanical work, and if spoiled,
he inhicts no pain, and can try another piece. II a
Dentist practice upon a valuable tooth, and spoil il, be-
sides the suffering he causes his patient, the loss is ir-
reparable; so the inquiry should be, who is best, and
moi, who will do it cheapest
The front teeth, when decayed, present a blackened
appearance between them. The edges Of these decayed
spots, upon each tooth approach each other-and are very
thin. The decay approaches very near their nerves, and
an ~unskinful hand viii break away these thin edges, and
perhaps expose their nerves, in the first attempt to I'LL
them. and by that means the teethare spoile I; and that
all for half price and warranted. So that a loss OF the
teeth will be likely to be Occasioned by employing a
dentist who has to warrant his operations.
1t is often said, such a one warrants his work but
there the mischief lies. There is hut one way ofhlling a
tooth, and that is, right. aad needs no warrsnting in
which WayanO of my operationsare performed. Teeth from
one to a full sett,upon gold plate, in the very estmanner
teeth filled with pure gold in such a way as to restore
them to their natural color, and render them durable.
The practice of hIving teeth filed, cannot be too
strongly commended. There is no operation upon the
mouth so useful. For that reason, L wish to d vote most OF
my time to that part, as l have attained to a skill in that
way which cannot be surpassed, and only equalled by
those who are first in the Dental Profession.
Warren, September 10, 1853