Chapter VI is dedicated to the stopping of decayed teeth. The sole materials used by the author for stopping were lead, tin, and gold. “Fine tin,” he says, “is preferable to lead, for lead turns black much more easily and is much less durable; both are preferable to gold, because lighter and adapting themselves better to the unevenness of the carious cavities. Besides, gold being dear, not everyone can or will make the corresponding outlay.” The author here adds that those who, from vanity or because possessed by the opinion that gold has special virtues, will not have their tooth stopped except with it, not unfrequently find dentists who, as the saying, goes, content them and cozen them by using leaf tin or lead colored yellow, and making them pay for it as gold stopping! [Illustration: FIG. 80 Some of the dental files used by Fauchard. The little square figure represents a small grooved wedge destined to be inserted in large interdental spaces, in order to give more firmness to the teeth to be filed.] The leaf metals were introduced and compressed into the carious cavities by means of three kinds of pluggers, which would nowadays be considered altogether insufficient and unfit for the purpose, but which then, nevertheless, served to produce excellent stoppings. The author speaks[450] of a lead stopping which had lasted in perfect condition for forty years. Before stopping the tooth the cavity was scraped and its opening widened, if necessary, but no special form was given to the cavity itself, as is done at the present day. [Illustration: FIG. 81 Instruments for scraping the carious cavities (Fauchard).] As at that time the state of the dental pulp was not taken into consideration before stopping a tooth, it often occurred that the stopping caused violent pain, which rendered its removal necessary.[451] Fauchard says that “if the sensibility of the carious cavity be too great, the lead ought only to be pressed in very lightly at first, then after one or two days a little more, continuing thus until it is properly compressed and fitted in, always provided, of course, that the pain does not increase. The sensitive parts of the tooth become thus more easily used to the pressure of the lead, and the pain is in this manner avoided or moderated.”[452] [Illustration: FIG. 82 Three instruments for plugging teeth. The two small figures represent silver plates for straightening teeth (Fauchard).] The author also makes the remark[453] that sometimes, in scraping a carious cavity, “it is not possible to avoid uncovering and touching the nerve with the instruments; one becomes aware of this by the pain caused, and better still by a little blood issuing from the dental vessels.” In such cases, Fauchard advises stopping of the tooth immediately, for if it be carried out with delay, it is sure to be followed by inflammation and great pain, rendering necessary the removal of the lead or even the extraction of the tooth. [Illustration: FIG. 83