Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-02-09
TOOTHACHE FROM IMPLANTED
-. DENTINE. -.

By the term dentine, is here meant
the inner portion of the tooth, situated
between the enamel and the nerve. II
consists of fibrous bone, ramified with
nerves and blood vessels. Toothache
affecting this portion of the tooth may
be caused by the use of the file, or by
accidentally breaking off a portion OF
the enamel, but it Is most generally
caused by decay. 1t is usually mos
severe when the decay has only
passed through the enamel, or but very
slightly into the dentine, for the reason
that the junction of the nerves is found
at the union of the enamel and dentine,
and as a general principle the most
acute sensibility is always found at the
termination of the nerves. The ex.
citing cause of this kind of toothache is
contact with cold air, hard substances,
acids and sweets of various kinds. The
removing of the exciting causes is gen
orally followed by a cessation Of all
pain in the tooth. Dentine having but
a low grade of circulation is not suscept-
ible to the same degree of inflamma.
tiOn as the soft tissues or even as other
bones which are more highly organized
Persons of delicate constitution, and
those suffering from depraved condi.
tiOns of the system have in the great
majority of cases much softer and more
highly organized teeth, than those of a
healthy and robust constitution, it fol.
flows then as a natural result that those
persons with bad constitutions are
much. more liable to suffer from inflam.
ed dentine than the vigorous in health
This portion of the tooth (the dentine,
is endowed with the power of repro.
ducing itself to some extent, as has re.
suited from filling teeth thus affected,
and after a lapse of time the FILINGS,
(tempOrafy f1lHngs) have been removed
when all the surrounding dentine has
been found in a perfectly healthy state,
free from any pain or even sensitive.
ness. Teeth have in many instances
decayed to considerable extent ac.
cOmpanied with all the symptoms OF
infiamed dentine, and after time,
from change In the secretions of the
mouth, or other circumstances that
first caused the decay, the infiamma-
ton and sensitiveness subsidies, the
progress of decay is arrested, and the
dentine that had been softened by dis
ease becomes hard, firm, and healthy.
Decaying dentine is at times suscepti-
BILE to extreme sensitiveness and pain.
and therefore lit is worse than cruel, it
appears to me exceeding wicked for a
dentist to attempt to fill tooth in this
condition. The Inflammation must first
be effectually allayed by the use of
local measures, and if they do not suf-
flee in a reasonable time, proper general
remedies should be given until all the
Inflammation has disappeared, then all
the remaining diseased dentine should
be removed and suitable temporary
filling introduced, in order to protect It
from any further contact with Injurious
substances, until the tooth has assumed
a healthy condition when temporary
filling should be removed, and per-
manent one properly put in its place.
The dentist who will be prevailed upon
to extract teeth in this condition is
either knave or an ignoramus, and he
might as well be one as the other.
This ends all have to say in relation
to toothache from infiamed Dentine.
My next letter will contain a consid-
Grafton of toothache from Neuralgia
of the Maxillary nerves or sSympa-
thetic Toothache.
Respectfully,
G. III. BOYD.