The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-09-20
manitowof pilot.
TALK ABOUT TEETH.
Superiority Of American Dentistry-soms
Interesting Operations.

Superiority Of American Dentistry Some
Interesting Operations.
Tell me- said a reporter to San
Francisco dentist of renown, $50 | can
settle a recent dispute, who have the
best teeth Americans or foreigners"
Foreigners by all means. In the
first place it's hereditary, and in the
second as children, they are not in
dulged as our youngsters are with high
~ seasoned food, such as hot bread,
candy, and all sorts of confectionery.
They subsist mainly on coarser, more
stamina-giTing food. Childhood is the
formative time for teeth. Why" con-
tinued the dentist iyupressively, Il have
filled the teeth of many child not five
years old, which teeth were so badly
decayed that otherwise they would not
have lasted until the second teeth were
ready to take their places.
''Would that have been of serious i'm
portance?"
.'Most decidedly; for the loss of teeth
at too early an age causes the jaws to
contract to size entirely inadequate
for the number of teeth bound to come
in. Then the second set force their
way up into the mouth, crowding one
over the other, thus superinducing de-
cay on the sides of the teeth so pressing
upon each other Some of my patients
have every tooth filled on both sides.
Then, again, the crowding process has
tendency to throw the lower jaw out
beyond the upper, destroying the bite
and altering the expressions of the
face. The bulldog jaw ought to be
avoided"
''Is that irremedial?"
"Oh, no. When it is congenital, as
it often is, throughout entire families, it
is a more difficult task; but the straight
ening of teeth is now an important
branch of the profession. To show you
what can be DONE" continued the
dentist, growing enthusiastic, examine
this, taking pair of plaster casts from
row of them on top of his instrument
case. 'tHere is an exact representation
of a young lady's mouth as it was about
four years ago. She was then 49, The
lower jaw is prominent, the first two in
cisors of the upper jaw are inclined to
lap one over the other. and the upper
and the lower molars do not meet each
other. The left eye-tooth is missing al
together. This was what developed
into the remarkable feature of the case.
She had never had the tooth, neither
had her mother ever appeared. Con-
GLIDING it was congenital, | worked ac-
cordingly. In a year that set of teeth
was so improved that no one could have
recognized it as the same" pointing to
another set in plaster.
''Felt elated, SUPPOSED" said the re-
porter, feeling he was expected to make
some comment.
Not SO very" replied the dentist
with pardonable pride, that one of my
specialties, you know. So far it was
only an ordinary case. The remarkable
part followed. Soon afterward the
same young lady came to me in tears.
The missing eye-tooth was making it's
appearance in the jaw high above its
natural place, almost under the left nos
tril She wanted me to extract it.
(Which you did?"
mo, sir; most emphatically. The
eye-tooth is what is calledan expression
al tooth; to remove it now that it was
there, though its absence before had not
lHdblClCu. hOilu uslNO CEtuSCl
sion in the upper part of the jaw into
which the lip would have sunk and en-
tirely altered the expression. l had to
wait until the tooth grew in, then spread
the Jaw and alter the position of the
other teeth to make room for the intru-
der. 1t took three years, but theyoung
lady had grit
What are the best years for that to be
done?" queried the reporter.
Il prefer to begin the operation soon
after the child has passed the 18th year,
but have made successful change in
the teeth of q young man over %.
Well, that's about equal to a young lady
of 49,
800 you ever transplant teeth?" was
then asked.
''Oh. yes; both transplant and re
plant. One young fellow was brought
to me with his front teeth knocked out
by q baseball | successfully reset
them. Then, again, have drawn a
tooth, performed surgical operation
on an ulcer at the root, and reinserted
the tooth. If Inflammation does not set
in, of which there is great danger, the
operation is n success. But as for trans
planting teeth, that's very delicate OPP
Grafton, as success depends upon the
condition of both patients. l have known
death to ensue.'
'Why, how?" asked the startled seek
er after dental information.
IF the person from whom the tooth
is extracted is not in perfect health, if
there is faint of scrofula in the blood,
entirely unsupported, the recipient of
the tooth may have fatal case of blood
poisoning as the result of the expert
ment. | follow the example of the best
dentists in England, who do not per-
form the dual operation without knowing
the sanitary condition of both patients.
Even then the chances for its success
are small"
''Are English dentists better than
American ones?"
In this respect, yes; they are re-
quired to be also physicians and sur
geons. This is necessary, for a dentist
should be above the mere mechanism of
his profession, and be able to Judge of
cause and effect. This he can do only
when he has q thorough knowledge of
the human system as whole. 1t will
come to that pass in America yet"
HOW Is lne ART OF uentlSIry on the
continent of Europe?"
"Wretched. Well, they have not the
need of dentists there and the supply
is always regulated by the demand. 1
| have many people contemplating
European tour come to me to have their
teeth put in order, brought to time as it
were, knowing that there are no den
lists in Europe to whom they wish to
60"
There have been vast Improvements
IN the mechanical part of dentistry,
have there not?" queried the reporter
You may well say so. The poor
teeth of Americans have set American
ingenuity to work to produce inventions
both of instruments and of apparatus.
. besides making many important discov-
cries in regard to the use of chemicals.
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