The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-08-16
TIMELY MEDICAL TOPICS.
A Series of Brief Treatises on
What To Do III Emergencies,
What Not To Do and Other
Hints of Value.
prepared Weekly, Tor the citizenl

DISEASES OF THE TEErH-DENTAI
carries.
rms Is very common affection. few
persons reaching adult life without
having suffered from it, 1t is "A decay
on the surface of the tooth which
causes the TISSUES slowly to soften and
dislntesHate until the pulp cavity is
reached. 1t may commence in the
enamel or in the dentine beneath the
enamel. When the enamel is attack
ed, II becomes Opaque and dlsc0luTed;
when the dentiue is reached the pro-
cess Is more rapid. The diseased por-
ton may be black, but ii is usually of
dark brown. The deeper the stain
the slower the decay. Carious dentiue
has smell peculiar 10 itself The
much-disputed question of the active
cause of dental carries has been finally
settled 10y Miller AN American dentist,
now in Berlin, who has couclusively
/ shown that dental carries is due to bac-
terra in the mouth, of which there are
large number.
The prediSpOSiag causes of carries are
! Il some defect in the enamel, SO that
the dentlne is exposed To the action Of
decomposing food, land the bacteria in
the mouth; p injury due to the too
great crowding of teeth, the pressure
causing the absorption of the enamel
and thus exposing the dentiue; G. the
accumulation of dtcaying substances
between the teeth In certain diseases.
such rs tevers, etc, decay is more
liable 10 occur. Pregnancy and the
various forms of i'll health, 10y deraug-
ing digestion, are frequent predisposiug
causes. Imperfect calciication Of the
teeth and hereditary conditions may
also predisppse to carries.
The crcNtHg causes N cdricS: ID The
acids, which are the products of fer
mentation and chemical decomposition
of food, and other matters in the
mouth, also acid mucous secreted 10y
the gums; (2) when the dentine is eX-
posed, certain organisms, such as the
leptothriX bucchalis, may appear and
pervade the dentine and grow AT its
expense. When the pulp cavity is
reached severe pain is experienced.
Owing to the pulp being confined
within long walls it cannot expand
under the influence Of inflammation;
hence, the great pressure is the result,
and consequently the great pain The
pulp recedes, the inner surface of the
cavity is attacked, and the disease pro-
ceeds from within outward. Certain
teeth are more liable to decay than
others. This is particularly true Of the
sixth year molar, or the first of the
permanent teeth to appear Surgeons
frequently overlook this tooth. The
same tendency TO decay exists in the
"wisdom teeth.h
TREATMENT.
The treatment of carries comes more
within the province Of the dentist than
within that OF the surgeon. and con-
sists in the removal Of the decayed It's
sue, SO that healthy surface is left,
then filling the cavity " it'll gold leaf,
amalgam or other suitable material.
The preventive treatment consists i'm
preserving perfect cleanliness by tooth
brush and antiseptic powders and
maintaining a good condition Of
health.
EXTRACTION or TEETH.
The extraction of the temporary
teeth is simple matter, as in the nat
ural course of events the roots are alb
sorbed and the crown of the teeth is
shed from the gum.
The permanent teeth, however, fire.
quently give some trouble, and, unless
the operator uses some judgment and
care in the extraction, serious damage
may be done. The surgeon must re.
member that skill is more requisite in
the extraction of tooth than strength
The best instrument for the extraction
is the forceps, of which there are man,
different kinds, but for practical pur