DENTAL SCIENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 427, 9 February 1909, Page 6

DENTAL SCIENCE.

ITS GREAT DEVELOPMENT.

'.■. The developments in' dental. science during ■~ the last quarter of a century have been; littleV short of., marvellous. It 'is but a short -time '■'-. since dentistry was regarded as a kind of by- v occupation of the chemist, and:the idea ; of/ : treating it .as a separatei profession.'.and.tc- ; quiring, those who engaged in,it:,to:'undergo a long and arduous,course - of study.was ie/garded with, scorn.; It was in' Americi. that V ; dentistry-'was. first elevated, fa the position -■: of'a distinct, science, requiring- the whole of " : man's time for its study and practice.-. :. .'•; It is necessary only'to' scrutinise the equip- ' . ment of a dentist's rooms .to i see; the J vast •: strides made' by;modern dentistsj;and the surgeries and mechanical rooms of Dr.'Rayner s A.merican Dental Parlours, Cuba andManners Streets, Wellington, form-a goodobject lesson, Here there are all the latest appliances for doing dental work of all kinds; V; and the.:first: striking-point' is tki)' enormous, extent to : which elcotrioity has been'utilised.:. The ; treadle-worked : dental engine of a fe\r : years ago-was regarded'.as a maryellous ,xd- ; ■ vanco on,the'bid system of dentistry, :where\ all the excavation ■■ and cleaning and filling - necessary in a patient's mouth.had to be done' by hand. But the paralysing whirr of the •■" drill ,waa enough to; terrify a patient 'before .' ever, it reached; the:: mouth. The ..electric ' dental engine; with; its noiselessly effective methods, is, : perhaps;, ono of the most wonder- : ., ful machines in a,dentist's oiitfit. : : Fillings, too, are put into teeth with an electric"V machine, \vhich taps the filling material-hard arid; fast into the cavity prepared by tlio drill, and does-it with.a spwd and a perfect..: tion that.could ne\'or be reached-by hand,: All' through Dr; :Sayrier's establishment the wonderful effects of the employment of elec- ..' tricity are apparent.. Sterilizers,' which are con--v." tinually in use all day, are controlled,entirely .'.:' by, In his' mechanical room every ; lathe is worked by a, small ■electric motor. His yuloaniaers are the latest .product !of the " intense competition of the American factories. The.-result-.is, that he.is able to deal with ,: , -an-enormous amount of work in a short'space ' .'of : '::timq. '■- The increasing :perfection ,'bf ■ ,■ mechanical dentistry is no less, manifest, than- ■ tho, advance in J dental surgery.;.. What is , ". known' as "croivn andvbridgo- work" is the finest example:of this. No.plates" used' in .this work, but it is necessary that' tha. : patient should have .at least two teeth left in his "jaw. Crowns of teeth -are united by .-'■ bands: of gold, and tho gnps between tho " natural teeth ''bridged"' over by a sot o| :': teeth which, can seldom.;,be. detected as artK'/ : . ficial, and are as firmly set in the mouth as though they had; grown there. -'Another- V.--triumph of modern dentistvy is' "continuous gum work," an attempt, wonderfully success. ■' ful, to replace.the..-natural gum by an arti- ■■--'■ ficial one. Dr. Rayher .claims tliattfie "re. J " ■ presents what aro absolutely the latest and; ■ r most up-to-date characteristics of '''-'modem ; - Amcricau-dentistry, and so -of vdevelopment in other quarters '.niay be missed : ho has in his emnloyroent men have : v completed courses in dental ecience atvtna- : ' leading colleges ■■ of America.: , : " : f ■ '-"';