[Illustration: FIG. 15. From the “American System of Dentistry.”] third, and often of the second molar; another fact worthy of attention is that at the posterior portion of the socket of the third molar the bone is moderately dense. =When performed with forceps the operation of tooth extraction may be divided into three stages:--= (1) Adaptation of the forceps to the tooth. (2) Destruction of its membranous connections with, and dilatation of, the socket. (3) Removal of the tooth from the socket. In the initial stage the _first step_ is the application of the blades, and, in this connection, care must be taken to see that the points pass between the gum and the tooth, and also that they are applied parallel with the long axis of the root. It is, as a rule, best first to apply the blade on the side of the tooth most obscured from view, and then lightly to close the other upon the opposite side. The blades should then be forcibly pressed upwards or downwards, as the case may be, in the direction of the apex of the root; a slight rotary or wriggling motion will often be found of assistance in the process. This “pressing” movement should be continued until a firm hold of the root has been obtained--a point of great importance, as upon it the successful removal of the tooth in a large measure depends. The handles should next be firmly closed, so as to give the blades a good grip, and the amount of pressure applied should be such, that when movement has commenced the blades do not ride upon the surface of the root. The amount of pressure to be applied must naturally vary according to the character of the tooth to be removed, and the resistance offered by the alveolar process. The thumb placed between the handles of the forceps, as previously pointed out, should counteract the pressure applied to the root and prevent crushing, which, should it occur, may make the subsequent removal very difficult. The _second stage_--the destruction of the membranous attachments and dilatation of the socket--is accomplished by employing force in either a rotary or a lateral direction. The movement to be employed depends upon the form of the root or roots to be removed and the resisting strength of the surrounding hard structures, and at this point it need only be remarked that rotary motion is alone admissible in the case of teeth possessing a single conical root. The _final stage_ is carried out by exerting extractive force in the direction of the long axis of the tooth, and also in that of least resistance; the latter is determined by a knowledge of the anatomy of the alveolar border, and by the sensation conveyed to the hand through the forceps.