The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1882-09-16
Correspondence Baifimors Csmntv Uaiom.
FfRsT-CLAss DENTISTS.
Their Patients Would Like Them 70 TX.
plain Their "Romances," Charges,
Vaccinations and Decay
ing Honor Among
Themselves.

BALTIMORE couSrr, September 18th. 1882.
Msssr.. Editor. Nobody murmurs at paying
fair price for pleasure, but when Il comes 10 pay
Ing high price for pain We are exeusable In
making the matter for public consideration.
To put our question, We here ask for first-elass
dentist TO explain why u 10 that tooth that has
been hled without regard 10 cost and in full as
surance that that tooth and filling are 10 give no
trouble for ten or twenty years, or during fe sets
about In few months In developing perhaps \
worse tooth. ache than was ever before known In
that especial toothg A number Of such
at hand. We would like 10 SEQ nm honest dentist
give open answer TO this question, a. IL 10 use
less 10 ask individually Of that which has every
appearance Of being either the ignorance or the
tricks Of the profession.
The fact IL that In dentistry the patient with
both his teeth and his money Il too entirely 70.
signed o. the tender mercics Of the dentist. In
hardly any other profession do persons commit
themselves resignedy. II would be q happy
day for store keepers " purchasers ladies especial
~, showed them half the HonchaiaHcs they do den.
lists. The patients Of q physician very often
know all about their troubles and his charges
combined; but obiivious seems 10 be the fashion
able thing for the patients Of dentist We go to
him with "a pain all over mouth inside" for
him 10 End. know little or nothing about the names
natures of our teeth, astonish him at the lawful
condition" they arc In. and without any under
standing about charges supinely allow him 20 pro-
coed in hlling n clever dozen, which he does In
about the same time IL used to take q dentist Of
twenty years ago 60 Gil one. In the meantime he
will DO glibly amusing aud instructive on every
subject bat dentistry whose my stories knowledge.
seeker may vainiy cndcavor 10 be enlightened on.
The bill for this little job comes In between $50
and 500. We pay Il In the remembrance that tho
twelve teeth are fixed for all time. slight un-
casiness In eating aud drinking for month after
wards We put mp with as n part Of the operation.
"A an la la ssfah aVta
of having some soiid sa,s,fae,iss, uitheat, how
ever, running into the designations Of sweetmeats
and other dangers.
! In the course Of lev months, however, one Of
/ these same teeth begins 10 ache In earnest, in
which case either go back to our dentist, or de-
/ terminius 20 be "a romanecr. go TO another. IL
We 60 to another first class one also by reputa-
! tion--he Immediately prunnunces the entire work
Of the other frs; class dentist a. abpminab'c aud
if allowed. will forthwith proceed to demolish IL
and substitute his own. dcploring In the meantime
the fraud. in the profession, while perhaps he l. a
man Of 80 and the other Of 60. Thus much u We
go to another. Nov We 60 back to our mana
I Charles street man We will suppose "Ah' ycs.
says he. II see what's the matter that's the tooth
tina, had the temporary ilIing its time now &"
I put In the permanent" This makes beautiful
I romance" taken in connection with the perma-
men; promises given at fact. The permanent
therefore goes in. charges made. aud the iirs,
trick repeated throughout. Thus. whether We
B change dentists or keep 10 one. various deV ices
are played use mention but slightly again aud
again. and the poor patients teeth are hurried
along to that day when natures pearls give way
to ars--ano,her still happier day for him .: the
lathe.
We may be excused for calling ,lcn;i.is opera.
tions devices or tricks. for whatever skill their
profession calls for and they possess. j. los, To ~.
when we see a lifelong guarantee. or its equiva.
lent. absolvc itself within few quick rolling
months. Pain in body makes ~ plain in speech.
Without pretending 20 be any critics Of dentistry
We can At least pretend g. be cnano.sesrs of pain
aud ordinary judges If certain voluntary. OF
repeated promises made 10 plainly spoken English.
We want. therefore. or first class dentists
10 step forward and acknowledge their profession
a iotiery-aii ehanee-or To- give some more
substantial guarantees that IL il not. We have
found the guarantee which promised eos,less 81.
tenion 10 imperfect work To be an utter romance.
r There may be plenty % work shown done years
ago tina; is still good but We want reviewed the
bad work done in the presea;. a. the epidemic Of
mperfec,ness Is recent. and the man Who can
show as vet standing In it, perfcctness every high.
priced job Of any ma gntuie done within tho pasi
twenty months can take 10 himself the merit Of an
7 exception.
II nature. as dentists say. has peculiarly afflicted
the present generation in it, teeth. should have.
ftherc Is any virtue in science. the pure article
Of il applied. with view rather to alleviate than
Of science or learning in the few Of profession.
those few, while soaring IN knowledge. are groyel.
ling in ways that dark" in morals, their help
10 the many il lost. The individual eases which
have furnished the subjects for the remarks are
not such as might be termed exceptonable they
represent at least, the average patients Of the first
class dentist. We forbcaT commenting on numer-
Gus other discrepancies among dentists; such rs
those whsrsin gas kills patients. whose conditions
the dentists should have some knowledge Of, aud
of those many instances where threats, jaws,
mouths tongues and checks sufer seriou.
torture from careless slips of instruments. All
such are charitable enough 60 class as among
those accidents which happen in the best Tesu-
lated families" Serious they are. they are
tribe, compared 90 the collective. systematic
growing increase of Vaccinations prae;iced upon
patients. high charges, ani utter disregard of konoi
among professional brethren in the treatment Il
each others work and reputation.
SoNE CouSrr RE,IbESrs.