St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-04-20
Home Dentistry:

It is so clearly the best policy for all
VINO suffer from dental complications to
seek the aid of skilled dentist that it
may be almost supe1huous to premise
that the following hints are written for
those only who, from want of funds, or
other causes, &re unable to obtain pro-
fessional advice.
Decayed teeth should at once be
thoroughly stopped, whether trouble
some or not, because if the nerve is ex-
posed tooth will always be unfit for use
and liable to ache, while the food will
lodge in the cavity and decompose, caus-
ing the breath to be offensive. To treat a
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 instrument, sharpened at the
point and slightly 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
drop OF creosote to fall on a piece of cot
ton, 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 more
agreeable. Both of these are poisons, if
taken into the stomach in any consider
able quantity. They are therefore to be
used on the teeth with care, and only at
the place needed. For the plug take q
bit of common gutta percha and plunge
it into boiling water, which will soften it
and render it as easy to manipu-
late as putty. The cavity having
been cleaned and wiped dry, allow a
single drop of the oil of cloves to fall
upon a very small bit of cotton and
force the latter into the hollow of the
toott, pressing it well in. Pinch off a
piece of the softened gutta percha of the
size of the cavity, dry it quickly on a
cotton cloth, press it in with the instru.
ment, 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 opposite tooth. In about
ten minutes the gutta percha will harden
and the tooth will be capable of use. If
the nerve is not exposed and tender, the
oil of cloves and cotton may be emitted.
In case the tooth has decayed SO far that
a mere shell is left, apply sufficient gutta
percha to form complete cover. When
two or three teeth touching each other
are badly decayed, they may be covered
with single piece of gutta percha. If
at any time the tooth becomes troublesome
again, the filling may be removed by
the pointed instrument and fresh one
inserted. 1t should be borne in mind
that toothache caused by an exposed
nerve in decayed tooth can be instantly
cured by the oil Of cloves, which should
be used with care, as above stated, so
that it will not affect the sound teeth.
When the nerve is destroyed future re-
lief from pain is insured. Thus all
who have broken or ragged teeth, and
cannot obtain dentists aid, may readily
free themselves from pain and render the
injured teeth serviceable. A good wash
for the mouth may be prepared as follows:
Dissolve a little permanganate of potash
in water, rinsing the mouth with por"
ton of the solution. This will destroy
the organic matter hanging about the
teeth, and render the breath inodorous.
-TScientifc American.