The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-04
IN THE HANDS OF THE DENTIST.

The performance of preparing tooth for
| the reception of the gold, after the decay has
| been cut away and the cavity made ready, is
| barbarons In The extreme. Imagine yourself
| seated in The luxurious chair, with its head
piece and foot-rest. Probably you have been
| " separated "a divorce, by the way, which
will Danish you from "bed and board" With
out either lawyers or red tape, and is effected
by wearing q piece OF wood between the
teeth. 1t Is not unlikely to suppose that your
masticators are all sore, that you have not
eaten or slept but little for the past week,
that your nerves are not over strong nor your
disposition more than amlable. Your tooth
Is drilled and cut until the cavity is care
fully prepared, and your endurance almost
exhausted. The dentist leaves you 10 pass
moment with the victims waiting 10 the front
parlor, who have kept the door-bell In motion
for the past hour, and, as each one entered,
caused your tormentor 10 smile complacently
and display set of worries In perfect order.
Dentists always keep their advertisements 10
an attractive condillon.) He returns, and
then brgins the systematic torture. A large
apron OF rubber cloth Is tied about your neck,
while two towels are tucked around your
throat underneath. A piece of thin gutta-
percha, eight inches square is then forced be-
tween several OF your teeth that aGjoin the
one to be filled. 1t is carefully strained over
root. A silver spriug s then fastened below
the rubber to keep 1t up tight BY this lime
your eyes are streaming Tears, even should you
be a stoic. A band with clamps at each end Ia
| now thrown about your chair, and the piece
OF gutta-percha Is secured firmly al the sides
of your cheeks. Your head feels as II 1t were
In wise. Make up your mind TO remain In
| this position three hours, with your mouth
| held open by q strong hand, with the saliva
| streaming down yonr cheeks, and with an
| urchin holding mallet and pounding in the
gold as fast as the dentist places 1t. Dentists
continually quarrel with the mallet-boys, and,
If ever there was set of lmps, 1t ls these
needless fellows. They will look the ''other
| way" and rap on the ''sore spot" in your tooth
They are the particular object of dentists
| Ire, and provoke these exclamalions: "Are
you going to sleep?" "Strlke easy" Look
| what you are about" The patient is power
less to speak, and can only roll his eyes i'm
ploringly as the mallet-boy seems to take
revenge on him. When at last the gold is all
| in and the filing completed, when the straps
| and springs and rubber are removed, and you
| take your paralyzed Java between your hands,
and endeavor 10 shut them, then do not sup.
pose you are to be releused-you are just
| ready for the "dental drill" or 'sengine, !"
which Ia TO polish the gold that is 30 firmly
packed. This engine s the most formidable
| looking machine, and on its first appearance
you shudder and conclude you are to be de-
captated now for certainly. This drill has
reverse.actiDg spiral-spring, with cord at
tachment, ana drive-wileel with revolving
| axle, Into the centre OF which the drll-bit is
set. ills made to revolve by the action of the
| foot on treadle. The bit Ia placed next your
| tooth, and The whole set In motion; while you
undergo the delightful sensation OF file
whirllng In your tooth, your filling is polished
as bright as mirror.