Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1886-09-24
DENTISTRY.
Facts Not Generally Known
About the Profess on.
How the Work is Done and the Prices
that are Received by Some Dentists.

1t has been carefully estimated that an
individual in the higher walk of life /
when he or she reaches the age of seven
ty, will have paid no less than 5000 for
the prcserv~'ion Of their natural teeth,
and the requirement Of atlic.al ones.
This fact should encourage young men
in the study of dentistry. Ono after
noon last week, met friend, dentist,
who, being in a confidential mood, con
sented to talk of the profession of which
he is shining ornament. He said:
Dentistry is not what it is cracked
up to be, and, although it pays big
profits, many bills for work done are not
eollectable. For this reason honest men
and women are compelled to suffer for the
transgression of dead beats have a
friend who recently sold a set of teeth for
$9j which cost him exactly $16.20. By
set of teeth mean upper and lower
sets. The teeth mentioned above were
set on aluminium. Teeth set on rubber
cost the patient $50 and the dentist $40
The prices given are average ones. Some
dentists who serve the best people ask
even higher rates. All dentists claim to
do their mechanical work on their premi-
ses This is not so. Less than one-halt
of the dentists in Brooklyn do their own
work or employ mechanical men by the
week. A larger part Of the work claimed
to be done by local dentists is performed
by half dozen mechanical dentists who
make speciality of that branch of the
business" =,
"What are mechanical dentists paid
for their seryicesT l asked.
eight dollars per set, which includes
upper and lower. The dentist so con-
tracing for the WORK is obliged to fur
nish the teeth, which usually cost from
81 to Sc per set. Plain teeth are worth
ten cents and gum teeth fifteen cents
each. The best teeth are made in Phha
delphia and are sold at branch of thu
manufacturing firm in this city. Den
lists try to convince their patients thai
teeth are very expensive, and that tt
make an upper and lower set takes tw'
or three days. This is all humbug.
mechanical dentist who is a good work
man can make three sets in twenty-fou
hours. You can see by the forN
| figures that patients pay good hd1d
prices for mans name or reputation
Dentists who employ mechanical mer
make plaster paris cast of their pa
ticnts jaw so as to get the articulation,
or fitting of the teeth, correct. These
casts cost about five cents each, and
when made are sent to the dental labora-
atories where the remainder of the work
is done. Until the middle of Septem-
Der dentists might as we'll close their Off
ces and 60 in the country, as little or no
work is being done. The months Of
August and September are the dullest in
the year for the dental profession
"What are the incomes of Brooklyn
dentists?"
"They diff 7, as in any other profes-
sion. Some dentists whom | might name
make as high as $12, 600 and $4,000 a
year, while others hardly earn their salt.
know men who have been in the pro-
fession ten years or more, and who dur
ing that time have not averaged $1,000
year. Meny Brooklyn dentists fill no
teeth less than S. each. A man in Pha-
delphia charges $40 per hour and usually
manages to get an hours work on any
tooth no matter how small the cavity
Another dentist in New York will fill no
tooth less than $50 or 500 Dentists
charge all prices for gold and silver NIL
ings, AS have already stated, the ay-
erage price paid for an upper and lower
set of teeth is $50 If was unknown to
dentist who usually receives that price,
I will wager you, that at this tineoi the
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