Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-01-21
THE TEETH WE WEAR.
How They Are Made and What They Are
Made OF

How They Are Made and What They Are
Made OF.
The elaborate array of artificial teeth
on exhibition at the meeting of the
New England Dental Society in this
city was striking on account of the
great number and variety shown as
we'll as their beauty of finish and arts
tic arrangement 10 one inclined to
be morbidly sensitive the long rows of
glistening white molars might be
CHASTITY in their suggestiveness, and
the feeling thus produced could not
but be intensified as the human skill
full manipulation grasped an upper and
lower set attached to plates in one
hand and let them grin out at one be-
tween two fingers to show their natur-
alness, or skIllfully worked them in
imitation of the Jaws action to display
their adaptability to each other. The
ordinary observer could find much to
admire, however, in the collection and
not the least interesting feature was
the contrast in make and finish be-
tween the exhibits of teeth of English
and American manufacture, there be-
ing quite large display of the former.
The English, to judge from this exhibit,
prefer to have their artificial teeth lar
GER darker and more closely resemb-
ling natural teeth in irregularity than
do the people in this country. and up
on inquiry of the agent of the English
firm, who has had abundant oPportu-
nifty for observation and contrast in
the matter, this was found to be actu-
ally the case.
A gentleman representing one of the
largest manufactures of artificial teeth
In this country was requested by rep
resentatiye of the Free Press 10 give
some information as TO the kinds of
material used in the composition of
teeth and the method of their manu-
facture. Il suppose you have heard, y
said he, ''of the old idea of their origin
and of the superstition which is said to
have formerly existed in the minds of
the ignorant against the use of false
teeth from the fact that one could not
be absolutely certain that in using
them he was not using the instruments
OF mastication of some deceased friend.
have heard old dentists say that they
had encountered prejudice of this kind,
but as you may imagine that was n
| good while ago.
"Well, the principal of the tooth is
peculiar quality of field spar, the
most of that which we use coming
from Delaware. 1t is mined like coal,
and ground into a fine powder. The
| spar forms the body OF the tooth, but it
| IS a soft substance and it is mixed with
slick to harden it, The proportion of
| the mixture used by us being secret.
| Formerly the teeth were enameled after
being partially baked, but ali the ma
terials, including the colorlng matter,
are now mixed together at the outset,
the whole forming 4 mass much re-
sembling dough This is kneaded by
machinery and when the kneading pro-
cess is complete the dough is in very
| plastic state and is ready for the mold.
Some of the molds are single and
! others are for three teeth joined to-
gether as they appear in market. The
dough is put iuto the molds, with a
spatula, the mold having previously
been fitted with the short-hcaded wires
of platinum which are seen in single
teeth and which serve TO attach them
to the rubber plate. No other availa-
BILE metal would stand the heat to
which the molds are subjected, so pla-
| tlnum has 10 be used, the wires in
every single set of teeth being worth
about o. cents.
The teeth are allowed to stand in
the mods until they become semi-solid,
when they are taken out and laid on
strips OF platinum and are now ready
for tAe baking process. The furnace
used for tins operation Is provided
xtrsf "a Lar.
admit the muifies or ovens in which
The platinum plates bearing the teeth
are PLACED. hese muifl9s are half
cylinders made OF iire-ciay, and they
are solid except ut one end which has
4 cover provided with peep-hole
through which the baker can watch
the process. The baking of teeth is the
most important step in their manufact-
ure; for if allowed to remain in the
oven too long they will be very brittle,
| and if taken out too quick they will be
soft, but in either case they are spoiled.
The operator is guided entirely by the
eye in deciding when to withdraw the
mufllcs from the furnace, which is
done when the teeth have reached a
certain tint: and the particular tint de-
| pCHdCtN upUu W tllt bihCi - IL Cucl-
ished secret, the muilles are allowed to
remain in the furnace from one to two
minutes, according to the temperature.
After the teeth have cooled they are
ready for carding, which is done by
women and girls, and. this done, they
are ready for market. =
do you have much difficulty in
matching teeth?' asked the reporter.
Yes, that is the most perplexing
thing in the business. A dentist will
send us a sample tooth from which we
are TO gain IN idea OF the color wanted,
and it frequently requires hours of
searching to ill the order You would
scarcely think it. to look at ourcxhibit,
but we have here about fifty different
tints Of teeth, and yet most people
would call them white. | tell you a
man who sells teeth must not be in
cliued to color blindness. '-BWitng-
tan (Ft. } Free Press.