Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-09-23
SECRETS OF DENTISTRY.


Nearly -Four Hundred Per Cont. PROFIT
Realized ON n Set Of False Teeth.
II has been carefully estimated that
An individual Ia the higher walk Uf
lie, when he Or she reaches the age of
seventy, will have paid no less than
5000 for the preservation oi their nat
ural teeth and the requirement Of arti-
fetal ones. This fact should encourage
young men in the study Of dentistry.
One afternoon last week, l met a
friend, dentist, who, being in a conf
Dental mood, consented to talk of the
profession of which hc Is d shining
ornament lie saidi
"Dentistry is not what II Is cracked
DIP TO be, and. although Il pays big
profits, many bills for work done are
not collectable. For this reason honest
men and women are compelled to suf-
fer for the transgrcssion Of dead beats.
have friend who recently sold set
Of teeth for sos which cost him ex-
actly Sl6.20. BY a 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 peo-
Pile ask even higher rates All dentists
claim to do their mechanical work on
their premises. This Is not so. Less
than onc-half of the dentists in Brook
lyn do their own work or employ me-
chanical men by the week. A larger
part of the work claimed to he done by
local dentists Is performed by half a
dozen mechanical dentists who make u
specially of that branch Of the busi-
ness"
"What are mechanical dentists paid
for their servicesP" / asked.
Eight dollars per set, which in
cludes upper and lower. The dentist
so contracting for the work Is obliged
to furnish the teeth, which usually cost
from 81 to 50 per double set. Plain
teeth are worth ten cents and gum
teeth fifteen cents each. The
best teeth are made in Philadel-
phia. Dentists try to convince their
patients that teeth are very expensive,
and that to make an upper and lower
set takes two or three days This is
| all humbug. A mechanical dentist
who is n good workman can make
three sets in twenty-four hours. You
can see by the foregoing figures that
patients pay good round prices for 2
mans name or reputation. Dentists
who employ mechanical men make a
| plaster paris cast Of their patients jaw
so as TO get the articulation, or fitting
of the teeth, correct These casts cost
about five cents each, and when made
I are sent to the dental Laboratories
where the remainder of the work is
done.'
"Do women make a success of den
| tistry?n
mot always. The feminine mind is
sometimes unable to grasp its intrica-
cies. Many women dentists practice
their profession in New York. They
are usually discouraged in their at
tempts to study dentistry, as close as.
sociation with male students has often
unpleasant results. The only plan
which 1 think would work satisfactorily
would be to separate the sexes in den.
tai colleges. This plan has shown
good results in medical schools. Nor,
women dentists practice their profcs.
sion in Europe than in America"
" How are Sl2 a set teeth, made
while You wait manufactured?'
"ln almost the same manner tha
$50 sets are made. A mechanical den
tist would charge the same price (SS)
for making a Sl2 set of teeth as h,
would for a higher priced set. Den
lists, however, who make teeth at tn,
rate named always do their own work
In cheap upper and lower sets of teetl
the teeth cost %. while in the higher
| priced sets the teeth are worth but ::
more. In cheap sets the only addi
tional expense is for rubber and plas
ter. The latter is worth. possibly, five
cents and the rubber twenty-five. Tht
materials used in dentistry cost but lit
tie. 1t IS the work and skill for which
the patient is Obliged to pay. Iot
will excuse me- said my informant
looking at his watch, las / have al
engagement at my Office at this hour.
a laboratory can be fitted up with al
the necessary tools for the practice o
| dentistry at cost Of from $500 20 S400
-Br00kiyH Edgic.