Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-03-27
AEsTnETICs OF DENTIsTRY,

AESTHETICS OF DENTISTRY,
Il Is an acknowledged fact that pentls'
try IL elassed ~ u science aud art, There
IL not one member Of our profession who
has thought above tho matter Of what
he il to receive for his labors, but would
with great reluctance see II lowered To
any other standard, We all very wen
know Dentistry Il divided into two depart
ments,-lhe operative which treats OF
preserving the natural teeth by Milling, aud
all surgical operations of the buecal caVl'
Is, the mechanical, or proslhetic, which
Includes the correction Of all the dcIofnl'
ties of the buccal cavity by artificial appll'
anccs, but generally OF that Of making aud
Inserting artificial teeth.
This subject IL we'll explained In an
essay by DR., Norman W, Kingsley, read
before the "New York Chronological So'
ccty," May 22nd, 1915 "rhc SIKH,
therefore, exercised In every operation on
the natural teeth Is purely mechanical, aud
IN csthctIc culture bears no comparison
with Its associated department No Per
Torrance Of the Dentist can make any
prctenslon TO be fine art, separate and
distinct from all others, But as a sub'dl-
vision or specially Of one Of the arts, Den
tlstry Is entitled TO consideration which
II has never received
Says Professor AuStlns IN his introduce
tory remarks In Harris latest edition :
"Thc prevailing and distinguishing feat
urc of dental therapeutics Is Prosthctlcs-
the art of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of
dental organs by substitutes which shall
physiologlcally restore impairment OF
function and acsthetically restore the nat
ural expression of the face. The medical
therapeutics and oral surgery OF dentistry
arc insufficient to establish II as diSlinc-
branch Of medical art, whilst the opera
tions Of fling and regulating the teeth
forms q small proportion OF It's specific
duties. 1t owes It's extent to the univer-
sal liability of the teeth to decay and losst
1t owes its difficulty as an art TO the CON.
pick nature Of the methods by which this
loss and decay must be rcmcdicd, In
other words Prosthctic Mechanism con-
sttutcs by far the largest and most diff
cult part of dentistry, makes 1t distinct
branch of the art Of medicine and gives to
II the power to add as it does TO health,
comfort, and enjoyment of lite"
Yet how often do We meet with men,
bers ofourp profession who give nearlytheir
whole attention to the operative depart
ment in the way Of qualifications and
practice, some even ignoring any knowl-
edge of Prosthetic dentistry? This, how
ever, we will not discuss.
Perhaps it would be well before going
any further to give my views rs TO the
chief reason why artistic dentistry has
never risen above mechanical dentistry
except in few individual cases.
After few weeks or months spent in
some Dental Shop we see the sign hung
out with the prefix Dr. to the name; then
taking up the newspaper we see the adj
yertsement of the so-called Dentist.
Teeth are distracted without pain for rs
cents. A beautiful set Of gum teeth for
$500, $500, or $1,000 per set, with plnm-
pers, open fronts, lip lifters, depressers
and regulators. Perfect comfort and life
like appearance guaranteed, requiring
neither spring nor wires, being manu-
featured under q new process, by which
mastication and articulation is permantly
restored. Could this so-called dentist do
what he claims in his advertisement and
at the prices given 1t would be useless to
discuss the question. But no, he uses
this as q snare to lure people, claiming to
do more than the true professional and
artistic dentists can do. His very prices
ought to give people distrust of him.
sometimes think that people desire to be
humbugged. The greater the swindle the
better pleased they seem to be, if they
only get what they term q fit. Should we
call on this aforesaid Dentist for profes.
sional advice probably we should be adj
vised to have all our teeth exstracted, anC
have set ofteeth that would never ache
shut very likely would make the patients
friends ache to look at them" Thus oul
profession is filed up with these denta
mechanics without knowledge ofanatomy
without artistic culture, without aesthct,
ic taste. No attempt whatever is made
to initiate nature, not thought is given
to facial expression. The only thought
is to get something into the mouth with
teeth attached and get the money for it.
which may be the small sum advertised.
Some, however, succeed in getting q
graf deal more, claiming those advertised
to be of the cheapest quality, but very
likely they use no other. If we would
look about us at public gathering we
would see the production of these dental
mecanics, "bungling mechanism in the
place of art" Were 1t our privilege to
see two or three of the plates manufacture
ed by this class of mechanics. We could
ever after recognize at glance all plates
made by than, for the last are almost ex-
net copies of the first. In looking over
this assemblage we see person above
the average size with large features,
prominent jaw, large mouth, wearing a
set Of teeth which gives SO much promi.