Pennsylvania Association of Dental Surgeons. [Volume: 2, Issue: 7, February, 1861, pp. 378-382]

PROCEEDINGS OF DENTAL SOCIETIES.

379

He believed in lancing it was advisable to use a rough, saw-edge
gum lancet, as there would be less danger of haemorrhage; besides, the
roughened surfaces of the wound would not unite as quickly as if made
with a sharp one; and remarked, with children of scrofulous diathesis
who were teething, pustular eruptions were nearly always present.
He referred to the abnoimal condition of the mouth, the result of
caries or alveolar abscess of the temporary teeth, considering it the
duty of every dentist to preserve the deciduous teeth by temporary fillings,
that they may remain as long as necessary in the mouth, and also prevent the difficulties arising from exposed and inflamed pulps and alveolar
abscess. In lancing for the evacuation of the pus in the latter disease,
he adopted the method of separating the gum and tooth with the lance
in the same manner as previous to extraction, instead of passing it alone
through the gums. The opening will not be closed, as Dr. Hunter
observed the gum would never again become permanent to the tooth,
while in the other method, the wound would unite after the removal of the
pressure of the pus, and subsequently the same difficulties would again occur.
Dr. Suesserott did not consider teething a predisposing cause of disease, as it is a physiological act; for if all of the functions are properly performed we need never expect any difficulty or derangement of the economy
during the performance of this, one of the most beautiful operations of
nature. If, on the other hand, we find some constitutional or local cause
producing a derangement of the system and weakening any particular
part of the mechanism, we find the normal afflux of blood to the dental
structures heightened to an abnormal irritation, and thus the act of teething is made to be an indirect developing cause of disease. A predisposition to disease existing in any structure of the animal economy, the performance of any natural function may be converted into a developing
cause. Even the essential and beautiful function of nutrition may develop disease in a part that is predisposed; yet no one is ready to admit
that nutrition is a predisposing cause of disease.
Dr. McQuillen said, while recognizing dentition as a physiological condition, must we not admit in addition, that interruption of that function is
a prolific cause of disease with children? Utero-gestation is a physiological condition, and yet by the derangements produced in the system
under such circumstances, latent diseases are not unfrequently developed
in the pregnant female. Carious teeth in particular, which have remained
in the mouth for years, causing little or no annoyance to their possessor,
frequently become exceedingly painful, taking on either odontitis or periodontitis.
Reference was then made to the difference between the predisposing
and exciting causes of disease. The first or predisposing cause being a
peculiar condition of an organ or part of the animal economy, rendering
it liable to take on diseased action when exposed to the influence of