The Saint Paul globe., 1899-08-27
MILLIONS OF MOLARS
AMERICANS ARE THE GREATEST
PATRONS Of THE
DENTISTS
SOME MARVELLOUS FIGURES

twenty Millions of Incisors and
MOIars Are Made Yearly - EIec-
tricity Largely Used in Locating
Diseases of the Jnw-Many of the
Horrors of Tooth Pulling Have
Been Mitfgated.
The man or woman who is much
troubled over the, necessity of having an
artificial tooth inserted" said a popular
dentist the other day, may take con-
ISOLATION from the fact that there are
about 100000 of such teeth manufac-
tureo and sold annually In the United
States, allowing on an average one arti-
hcial tooth every four years to each man.
woman and child in the country. including
Indians, negroes and tramps," says the
Boston Globe
"On the authority of the greatest man
ufacturer of dental supplies in the coun-
try, there are over 10000 ounces of pure
gold worked up annually for dentists
use in material for filing teeth. in
plates and soldiers, the value of this Hold
approXimating S1,OO0,00O In addition
there are about $4,000 ounces of platinum
used annually by the various manufac-
turers of porcelain teeth, to say nothing
of the large amount of silver amalgam
prepared for incOnspicuous filings, such
as those in the back teeth.
There is no other profession which has
made greater strides during the last few
years than has dentistry, and the number
OF practitioners has steadily increased
until now there are 2O422 dentists in
the United States. Even the little towns
of Alaska have their dentists, there be-
Ing nine engaged in practice in the ter
ritory.
SURPRISING STATISTICS.
LAS figures do not lie the majority of
these men cannot have very much to do
because 2OO0O,OOO of false teeth and s.. .OO0.-
600 worth of gold for filings, etc, di-
Vided equally between e, 422 dentists. AL
lows only about 100 teeth and a little
less than $40 worth of gold per annum
to each dentist. AS the popular prac.
titioners in large cities use MANY times
these amounts, many of them earning
from $4,000 to $4,000 a year in the prac-
tce Of their profession, 1t will readily
be seen that good many of the smaller
ones must fall far below the annual
average.
''The use of electricity has worked won
ders in dentistry. Until the discovery
of the X-rays it was often necessary to
remove tooth in order to learn the ma
ture of some trouble at the root, but now
the root and portion of the iawbone
may be photographed by means of the
Roentgen rays the cause of the trouble
located and the tooth generally saved
aXv vnr
siders the discovery of what is called
dental cataphoresis' to be of far greater
Importance to them personally, because
of its unprecedented power to deaden
pain.
'Cataphoresis, continued the doctor,
us the process of driving anesthetics IN
to the bone tissue, or dentine, by means
Of a gentle current of electricity ap-
piled to the cavity itself. The method
Is rather interesting. The cavity is first
cleansed as thoroughly as possible with
out causing discomfort to the patient
and is then closed with a plug of cotton
just large enough to fill 1t without undue
pressure at any point.
HOW ELECTRICITY IS APPLIED.
1.-THE electrode Is placed in the moisten-
ed hand of the patient who is required
to grip it Just tight enough to secure good
connection, the anesthetic to be used is
drawn into the barrel Of the syringe and
injected into the cotton. The current Is
then turned on, and gradually increased.
till the proper amount is reached If
complete insulation is secured the process
is not accompanied by sensation of any
kind, and the subsequent drilling which
lis necessary in order to cleanse the cav
U1ty prior to filling 1t can be done with no
appreciate degree of pain. Without the
aid of cataphoresis, however, there is no
such thing as good workmanship in pain
less dentistry.
"But the new cataphoric bleaching is
even more appreciated by women. The
bleaching fluid Is driven into the tooth
by means of a current of electricity in a
way similar to that in which an anes-
thetic is driven into sensitive dentine
Even q tooth that has become very
much discolored as a result of the i'm
proper treatment of a dead nerve may
be rendered beautifully white by this
means. In fact, electricity is now used
by the up-to-date dentist for nearly
everything connected with his work. 1t
. is used for killing nerves; 1t propels the
treadle for cutting and the nallet for
filling, while light is supplied to the
mouth lamp, and heat to the hot air
syringe by the same means.
1.-The dentist of twenty-five or even
ten years ago who had not kept abreast
of the times would hardly know what to
make of the many improvements in the
mooern practluoners operating room.
The sterilizer, for instance, into which
every instrument is placed after being
used, rs now considered as necessary a
part of the Office furniture as the treadle
or the hydraulic chair The certainty
that every instrument put into the mouth
has been thoroughly sterilized since be-
ing previously used means great deal
to a sensitive patient.
Another special horror has been done
away with through the invention of the
dental speculun and the drainage tube.
The former protects the lips from abra-
SIGN, while tho latter, when placed under
the tongue. takes up and carries away
the troublesome 'drool,' which, under the
old-fashioned system Of dentistry. was
the cause of such aversion 10 fastidious
men and women"