The McArthur enquirer. (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1873-1884, 1873-05-14
THE TEETH.
Their Development and Structure,
BY DR.. N. J. BOWERS,


opement, diseases, treatment an,
preservation is astonishingly small
and when we consider the amour
of suffering occasioned by these OF
gans, the universal dread of hav
ing them removed by operation, tn
great loss sustained in appearance
in the proper enunciation of words
and in the masticatory funtion-by
their removal, it seems rather unac
countable that no greater effort il
made in this direction.
Doubtless one great, and excusa,
BILE reason for this lack of knowl
edge lies in the fact, that the facil
tiles for obtaining the desired in.
formation are very few to such an
extent-indeed that it can be said
that they really do not exist. Med.
ical writer's and professional den.
fists have been very laX-censurally
so--in this impartant field of duty;
Treatises on the subject are remark
ably scarce, and even what little has
been written, is of so vogue and in
definate a nature, and so burdened
and o bscured by profess
sional technichalities, and so mac
cessible to the general reader, as to
be of no benefit whatsoever. The
subject being only touched upon in
the more extensive treatises on An
atomy, Physiology and Hygiene
works designed more, if not exclu-
sively, for the practitioner, and not
for general circulation.
1t is our purpose in this present
article to present to the reader
some of the most important pro-
cesses and changes occurring in the
successive stages of dental devel-
opment, from the first appearance
of the teeth as delicate germs, to
their complete eruption.
From a little vascular bud, the
embryon of the future tooth is devel-
oped a dense structure capable of
great resistance, and is conformity
associated with other structure in a
very important function of the an
imal economy.
At a very early period about, the
sixth week of fetal life-a little
groove or depressed line is observ-
I'd running around the superior
portion of the maxillae, lined with
mucous membrane-the skin of the
mouth. This is technically, the
orimative dental groove. On the
floor Of this groove are developed in
each jaw, the ten deciduous or milk
;eeth.
The germs themselves are little
,onical elevations, called papille
covered by mucous membrane.
These germs make their appearance
the following order, agreeably to
Mr.. GooDsTR's observations /: The
,erm Of the first molar OF large
tooth, about one week from
he first observed appearance of the
lental groove, the cuspid about a
week later than the molar, a week
this the incisor germs and
asst of all, the second molar behind
he first. The papill@ of the lower
aw appear at O somewhat later pc
iod than those Of the upper.
This appearance of the papill@,
ompletes the first or papillary stage
n dental development, in which
here are three others, viz: The fol-
ocular; the saccular and the erup-
i've.
The margins Of the dental groove
Thich has now become deepened,
'ecome thickened and prominent,
nd the groove also becomes con-
erted into a series Of follicles or
title cups by septa or partitions of
extending across from
he margins Of the groove. Each
now occupies an individual
nd distinct place, surrounded with
is own membraneous cup. The
ollicles thus become the future al
'eoli or bony sockets in which the
eeth are implanted.
This change constitutes the sec
md or follicular stage. About this
the papill@ develops rapidly,
from the follicles and as
forms corresponding to the
'uture teeth; the cups become
leeper, and from their margins pro-
,esses or points of membrane arise,
which form little lids or operculi,
md which shut over and in each
Dapilla, forming q closed sac
There are three or four Of these
ids for the molar papille, three
FOR the cuspid, and two for the in
This completes the third or
3accular stage. At this time ap-