The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-31
MODERN DENTISTRY.
How Gold InIayS Are Made and Pat
Into the Teeth.

HOW 6Otu mays are Maue anu az
Into the Teeth.
from the New York Sun
The modern dentist now makes gold
inlays as well as inlays Of porcelain
In making an ordinary gold filling the
cavity in the tooth is made larger with
IN than at its opening. the walls thus
contracting helping TO hold the filing in.
The cavity for gold inlay must OF
course be at least as large at the open
ing as at any interior point. for the in
lay is in a solid block
There may be various reasons Tor
putting into tooth a gold inlay instead
Of a filling malleted in. For one reason
it may be that the walls OF the tooth
are too fraiI to stand the malleting with
out danger Of breaking. or st may be
that the gold inlay is TO so into a back.
grinding tooth. where malleted filing
would not serve tire purpose. An ordi-
nary gold filing such as is malleted In
is made OF pure gold n Il were other
wise 1t could not be worked; a gold inlay
can be alloyed 10 make IL OF a degree
Of hardness sufficient 20 withstand use.
Porcelain inlays are commonly set in
front teeth. where they DO not show as
a gold filling would. The porcelain pow
ders OF which such inlays are made are
produced in a practically endless variety
OF shades, which can be further varied
by combination.
II is possible 20 make a porcelain inlay
that viii match the surrounding tooth
so perfectly that except upon the closet
inspection IL Is impossible TO tell where
the tooth leaves of and the inlay be-
gins. Porcelain inlays. which are mold
ed into shape from the plastic material
and then baked. may be set in grinding
teeth. but this is not commonly done.
porcelain inlay that might not break
II stepped on might break in grinding
tooth in use.
A perfect amalgam filling will wear
as well and as long as the tooth in which
it Is set, but amalgam discolors In time,
and there are persons who viii not have
an amalgam filling even In q back tooth,
out of sight For these people for q
grinding tooth gold inlays are made.
In whatever sort of tooth the gold In
lay is TO be placed the cavity when
drilled out IS furrOwed down its sides
within with little grooves, into which
corresponding holdings on the inlay VIII
nj, this 10 hold the inlay more securely
I IN pace GuG kle helleI ~ CllAulI ~ ~
withstand pressure applied 10 Il from
various directions. and with the cavity
finished o. form or pattern is taken OF
II IN wax, Into one end OF this little
form or pattern in wax is thrust a dell
cate wire. by which Il can be handled
without handling the form itself. and
then this pattern is set IN a tiny flask,
and around H. as in a foundr, ;he mold
ers pack sand around patterns IN making
molds in bigger TASKS plaster is packed
When this tiny mold containing the
wax pattern FOR the inlay has hardened
| the wire is drawn out OF the pattern and
! the wax Is melted out Of the mold, and
1 then there Is the mold ready for the
casting which IS done by the aid Of
various special appliances made for the
purpose. Then you break the little
! plaster mold and there. released, you
! have the gold inlay.
X is set into place with cement, which
after an hour or two in which 10 harden
| holds the inlay firmly and securely an
/ chorcd. IN due time later the dentist viii
grind IL down around 70 make II per
! fectly flush with the surrounding tooth
! surface and polish IT,