Facts About False Teeth.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 485, 2 July 1890, Page 6

Facts About False Teeth.

‘ How long do false teeth wear ?’ an experienced dentist was asked the other day. * You might as well ask “ How long does a suit of clothes wear?”'was the reply. *lb all depends upon the quality of the teeth and the care of the person who uses them. If a woman bites thread with her artificial molars, they are likely bo be ruined in a week. On the other hand, I know persons who have worn the same sets for twenty years, and have never been compelled to have them repaired. Setß made of the best material and in the best manner should last a lifetime with proper care.’ * What is the proper care of false teeth ?’

• Both the plates and the crowns should be removed from the mouth and cleansed every night and morning.’ ‘ Do artificial teeth decay ?’ ‘No. They are all made of oorcelain, which is not subject to decay as the natural bone is. But at the same time porcelain is more brittle than bone, and hence an artificial tooth will not stand many hard knocks.’

‘ What is the difference in the durability of high-priced and cheap teeth ?’ ‘That is a difficult question. Cheap teeth are made of a material that bears the same relation to that of the best teeth that a common stone china plate does to a Sevres vase. Cheap teeth look like glazed china, and that is about all : that some of them are. Now, so long as the glaze lasts the teeth are as strong as those made of the costliest material, and) I have known a set costing next to nothing to perform service for many years. They are nob quite so brittle, in fact, as those made of the finest porcelain. But the chief superiority of the latter lies in their shape and appearance and in the exactitude with which they are fitted to the gums.’ ‘ What is the best sort of plate ?’ . ‘ One made of gold. Bub black rubber is just about as durable, only it is harder to keep perfectly clean.’ ‘ Are complete sets of artificial teeth not uncommon ?’

. ‘Partial sets are more frequently seen, bub complete sets are by no means unusual.’ , ‘Who wear the most false teeth —men or women ?’

‘ Women, by long odds. I doffit think the result is due aloue to vanity, however, although that may have something to do with it. The chief reason is that the natural teeth of women are not so good and strong as those of men, and therefore,_ have to be more frequently replaced by artificial teeth.’— ‘ Boston Herald.’