The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1878-03-13
MISCELLANY.
NOME DENTISTRY.


It is so clearly the best policy for all who
suffer from dental complications to seek the
aid Of a skilled dentist that it may be almost
supcrfious to promise that the following hints
are written for those only who, from want of
funds or other causes, are unable to obtain
professional advice.
Decayed teeth should tonoe bethoronghly
stopped, whether troublesome or not, because
if the nerve is exposed a tooth will always be
tender, unfit for use and liable to ache, while
the food will lodge in the cavity and decom-
pose, causing the breath to be offensive. To
treat decayed tooth proceed as follows
First, clean out the cavity, picking out all the
decomposed parts which can be reached, and
dry the interior with cotton For this and
subsequent operations thin steel or iron in
strument, sharpened at the point and slight
ly curved, will be found useful. Should the
nerve be exposed, it should be killed. There
are several ways Of doing this. One method
is to allow a drop Of crcosote to fall on piece
of cotton, when the latter is placed ON the
nerve in the cavity, filling in with pure cotton
Oil of cloves may also be used it is slower in
its action, but is moro agreeable. Both of
these arc poisons, IL taken into the stomach
in any considerable quantity. They are there
fore to be used on the teeth with care, and
only at the placs needed. For the plug take
bit of common gutta percha and plunge It
into boiling water, which will soften it and
render it as easy to manipulate as putty. The
cavity having been cleaned and wi ped dry, al
low single drop of the oil of cloves to fall up
on very small bit of cotton and force the lat
ter into tho hollow of the tosth, pressing it
well in. Pinch off piece of the softened
gutta percha of the size of the cavity, dry it
quickly on a cotton cloth, press it in with the
instrument, and smooth the outside with the
finger If the cavity is in the crown of the
tooth, close the jaws; the gutta percha will
thus be moulded into the shape Of the oppos-
its tooth. In about ten minutes the gutta
percha will harden and the tooth will be ca
pable OF use. II the nerve is not exposed and
tender, the oil of cloves and cotton may be
omitted. In case the tooth has decayed SO
far that mere shell is left, apply sufficient
gutta percha to form complete cover. When
two or three teeth touching each other are
badly decaysd, they may be covered with =
single piece of gutta percha. If at any time
the tooth becomes troublesome again the fill
ing may be removed by the pointed instru-
ment and fresh one inserted. Il should be
borne In mind that toothache caused by an
exposed nerve In decayed tooth can be in
stantly cured by the application of the oil of
cloves, which should be used with care, as q.
bove stated, SO that it will not affect the sound
teeth When the nerve is destroyed future
relief from pain is insured. Thus all who
have broken or ragged teeth, and cannot OBJ
tain dentists aid, may readily free themselves
from pain and render the injured teeth SER
viceable. A good wash for the mouth may
be prepared as follows Dissolve little per-
manganate of potash in water, rinsing the
mouth with o portion of the solution. This
VIII destroy the organic matter hanging about
the teeth, and render the breath inodorous.