A History of Dentistry from the most Ancient Times until the end of the Eighteenth CenturyGuerini, Vincenzo
History
A History of Dentistry from the most Ancient Times until the end of the Eighteenth Century
Guerini, Vincenzo
Dentistry -- History
In Chapter XXX the author gives an account of five cases of dental
replantation and one of transplantation. This last operation was
carried out on a captain who had the upper canines on the left side
decayed and aching; he inquired of the author if it were possible to
draw it and replace it by another person’s tooth. Having received an
affirmative reply, the officer sent immediately for a soldier of his
company to whom he had already spoken on the subject. This man’s
canine was found by Fauchard to be too large; nevertheless, for want
of better he extracted and transplanted it, after having diminished it
in length and in thickness. This it was not possible to do without the
cavity of the tooth remaining open, and for this reason, when, after
about two weeks’ time it had become quite firm, he stopped it. But the
stopping immediately caused such insupportable pain (which circumstance
astonished the writer not a little) that he was obliged to take it out
again the following day, on which the pain ceased directly. Fauchard
saw this patient eight years afterward, and was assured by him that the
transplanted tooth had lasted him six years, but that its crown had
been gradually destroyed by caries. The root had been extracted by a
dentist, not without considerable pain.[439]
We now give one of his cases of replantation in the words of the author
himself:
“On April 10, 1725, the eldest daughter of M. Tribuot, organ builder
to His Majesty the King, called on me; she was tormented by violent
toothache caused by caries of the first small molar on the right side
of the upper jaw; but although she was desirous of having the tooth
removed, to be freed of the pain, she, on the other hand, could not,
without difficulty, make up her mind, thinking of the disfigurement
which its loss would occasion, and thus it was that she was induced to
ask me if it would not be possible to put it back again after having
extracted it, as I had already done in the case of her younger sister.
I replied that this might very well be done, provided the tooth came
out without being broken, without any splintering of the alveolus, or
great laceration of the gum. The patient, upon this, completely made up
her mind. I extracted the tooth very carefully so as not to break it,
neither were the gum nor the alveolus injured in any way. I therefore
was induced to put the decayed tooth back in its alveolus, and having
done this, I took care to tie it to the neighboring teeth with a
common thread, which I left in position for a few days. The tooth
became perfectly firm, and only caused pain for two days after being
replanted.... To better preserve it, I stopped the carious cavity.”[440]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account