The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-03-27
influence of Electricity In Dent
istFy

has been a remarkable turning to cleo
tricity on the part of the dentists Of
this country: Probably one Of the
most important elements in this move
ment was the introduction Of q meth
cd OF obtunding or anaesthetizing
sensitive dentine by an electrical pro-
cess. The process, which is termed
cataphoresis, consists Of driving in
of the anaesthetic drug to be admin
istered, by means Of an electric cur
rent, which has opened the way to a
real painless dentistry" A piece of
cotton. saturated with cocaine or 9TH
or anaesthetic, is placed in q tooth
which it is desired to remove or to
opcrateson in any way. On either side
of the tooth, or on one side Of the
tooth and outside Of the cheek, are
electrodes. which are connected to an
''adapter," q newly-designed machine
for administering electric current in
very minute quantities. Formerly the
difficulty was to give the current to q
sensitive patient without shocking.
Now, the current can he given so
gradually that the patient is hardly
conscious Of it, and in from four to
five minutes the tooth to be operated
upon is so benumbed that it can be ex-
cavated. filled, or even taken out with
out the slightest pain to the patient.
This epoch making and beneflcent dis
covcry has proved such a source Of
stimulation to the dental profession
that quite number of beautiful ad-
aptations of electricity to dentistry
have appeared. One Of these is the
use Of the sinusodial current, which.
y,nlfl,o &l,<, ,SIr, ,,rn5 l,oo
soft. wave-likc impulses, which are
this current q great help to them, as
most patients who are under its sooth-
ing influence will face any ordinary
operation with but little fear or ncrv-
BUSINESS. Severe henorrhage of the
gums after an extraction is now
stopped by the application of the neg
alive pole of galvanic current. which
causes coagulation. New develop
mcnts in the implantation and trans
plantation Of teeth by electricity are
now being perfected by some progress
i've members Of the profession. while
others are devoting themselves to
Bringing out the possibilities Of the
translumination Of soft tissue by
means Of the new "etheric light" The
fact has never before now been made
public that some time ago Mr.. Tesla
received letter from German ply
stefan. who stated that not only had
he killed the bacilli Of tuberculosis by
suhtecting them to the "Tesla glow"
in his laboratory, hut had by the same
agency actually arrested tubercular
developments in the human subject.
This letter, unfortunately, was burned
in the fire at the laboratory, and Mr..
Tesla has never been able to find the
writer of it. One of the NEST baneful
and hitherto hopeless diseases with
which the dentist has to cope is
''pyorrhoea alveolaris," in which the
teeth gradually loosen in the gums,
and at last drop out. II etheric light
will kill one microbe it will probably
kill others, and dentists are now ex-
perimenting in the use of higher cam
dle-powers, and looking forward hope
fully to being able to purify and ster-
ilize the cavity of the mouth by light
alone. and to sweep out with a brush
Of glowing phosphorescence every noX-
ious germ that turks within it. The
Roentgen rays, too. have naturally
opened new field. Cathode pictures
are now being taken of the teeth Of
patients. AS the rays pass more east
~ through bone than through metal.
every bit of old stopping in every part
of the tooth is made manifest for the
guidance Of the operator who has q
new patient. The Roentgen rays are
also to be passed inside the mouth.
with a plate on the cheek, and thus os-
tits, determinations, pus deposits will
be shown, and the whole Of the hid
den pathology Of the teeth and gums
will be revealed.