Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-03-04
A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH

A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH
h0Wing the Wonderful Progress Of
Dentistry In the Last Fifty Years.
Perhaps no profession has made moro
rogress In the last thirty years than
lentistry has done. Half q century ago
lentistry, AS q separate branch Of the
nejical profession. was but little
mOwn, and dentists were but very few,
wen In the great cities. The regular
physician pulled the aching tooth. and
We have even seen a case where he fill
I'd 1t. and the filling. owing to the heal
ny character Of the bone possibly. re-
NAMED In that tooth for all OF q long
lifetime. At that period the der tist
travelled about from one town to anoth-
sr through wide district, and people
who availed themselves Of his services
we're thought to be rather fantastical.
md foolish and extravagant as we'll
In a case where new front teeth were
wanted the old tooth was sawed off and
the nerve was destroyed with hot irons
Ind infinite torture, in order that new
.Ooth might be driven In ON q wooden
peg, tooth that was perpetual trou.
Die and never permanent A tooth that
lched then was extracted without re-
morse. says a writer In Harper's Ea-
tar, and a filling, when filings came
b be known, as often dropped out as
stayed In. Now, on the contrary, II a
I tooth must be parted with, there ere
70 many ways Of evading the pain that.
lad they existed in the old time, Isaac
If York might have kept his money.
and the anodynes are SO used that the
patient Is conscious and sees the whole
operation and suffers nothing at all.
But no tooth Is taken out now that can
possibly be kept in. II a nerve must
be killed 1t is usually killed painlessly.
and the tooth that once could not bear
permanent and solid filling Is treated
ill 1t Is able to do so. Even when q
Doth is so nearly gone that retaining
points for the filling are not to be had.
dny gold screws can be inserted whose
heads answer for the points, q fine gold
wire can be injected into the gum or ap-
piled to 1t and do away with much Of
the pain once attending a bad excava-
hon or a tender filling. Filings are
made so artificially, too, as almost to
be beautiful In themselves, and 1t Is
sven possible, in case Of cavity on the
front surface of tooth, to insert a bit
,f enamel SO deliberately that even the
tracks cannot be discerned.
Perhaps. however. as great a success
IS any that has attended the progress
If dentistry is in certain surgical meth
IDS where 1t has changed the shape Of
he jaws and overcome deformity. 1t
las long been able. by means Of silver
Ind rubber clasps, and clamps and
plates, to regulate teeth that have come
1t skies and sevens; but now it can
transform a narrow jaw to a wide one.
md SO bring those protruding and over.
hanging teeth which give the mouth a
'odent-like appearance into line with
he lower ones, bring forward a reced-
ng lower jaw, make lips meet that once
ound 1t impossible. and change a fright
nto something like beauty. The per-
ton disfigured with a misshapen jaw
iced not wear the disagreement through
ife II there is an accomplished dentist
within reach who has wisdom together
With his mechanical skill, his artistic
feeling, and his anatomical knowledge
Ill Of which things are requisite to a
rood dentist. This, Of course, If re.
course u had to him before the eigh.
zenith year, although we believe there
lave been some cases of changes and
sure at later period. Moreover, arti.
lcial teeth are now made with such at
ention to shape, character and color.
md the patients age and consequent
complexion, with due remembrance Of
sormer Irregularities, and with perhaps
bit of filling here and there. that il
mkes an expert eye to know that they
ire not the original ones. Once carved
,ut Of solid block of ivory, like those
" the father Of his country, transferred
rom the mouth Of the one that sold
hem for a price, as poor Famine did in
Les Miserables," transferred from the
laws of animals, too, and robbed from
The dead of battlefields to be inserted
INTO living mouths, such things now
pnly seem disgusting fables, and hear
LIZ tuSh we tuhAA OuE hiAu AOEtuues
hat we are born into these years OF
grace, and not into those dark and hard
lays of slower development One il
tempted to think that we are never hall
Irateful enough to the workers of these
narvels, for the dentists crucible now
Is as wonder-working As that Of the
magi Of old story. If. indeed, we werl
able to do for all our other organs what
we can do for our teeth, we should also
be able, 1t may be. to reach again the
limit of patriarchal years.