Volume 2

G. V. Black's Work on operative dentistry : with which his Special dental pathology is combined / revision by Arthur D. Black.

  • Black, G. V. (Greene Vardiman), 1836-1915.
Date:
1936
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: G. V. Black's Work on operative dentistry : with which his Special dental pathology is combined / revision by Arthur D. Black. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    without the props. It will be noted that the separating jaws have impinged upon the gingivae. The general design and principles of the Perry separator are retained in the new instruments. Their improvement consists in greater convenience and efficiency, both in the application of the instrument and in the access to the field of operation. The relative positions of jaws, adjusting bars and bows are modified to permit of easier application, without undue pressure on the gingivae. In this connection the curvatures of the anterior part of the arch were considered. The portion of the bows which pass over the occlusal surfaces of the adjacent teeth are flattened, thus providing certain means of stabilizing the instrument by packing base plate gutta-percha or modeling compound between the bows and the occlusal surfaces of the teeth. This eliminates pain and injury to the gingivae, due to movements resulting from lack of stability, which has been one of the principal objections to all mechanical separators. The instrument should be so well stabilized that the operator may use it for a finger rest. The separation required is usually accomplished without pain and without causing especial soreness of the teeth at the same time or afterward. Generally, the separator should be applied before the restoration is begun and the teeth separated sufficiently. Occasionally, and especially with the molar teeth, when the teeth are very firm, they are difficult to move. In such cases, if the screws are turned until considerable pressure is applied, there may be very little immediate movement of the teeth, but within a few minutes, due to continuous spring force of the instrument, the teeth will gradually move apart. If necessary, the adjusting bars may then be turned a little more. The continuous spring force of the separator causes them to yield gradually and the movement is accomplished with little discomfort to the patient. One should be careful not to tighten the separator too tightly upon the single- rooted teeth, as the spring of the instrument may gradually move them apart farther than is necessary and injure the supporting structures. Slow separation. In cases in which the width of the inter- proximal space is too narrow, the teeth having moved closer together as a result of loss in their mesio-distal diameters, due to decay or other causes, one should not undertake to secure the desired separation immediately. A little movement should be gained with the separator, and then the cavity, which should be partly prepared in advance, should be packed tightly with base plate gutta-percha. If the gutta-percha is allowed to become cold and thoroughly hard before the separator is removed, it will hold the separation gained, and within a few days the instrument may be again applied and the process repeated. The gutta-percha should be left with full occlusal contact with the teeth of the oppo-