Notes on dental practice / by Henry C. Quinby.

  • Quinby, Henry C.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notes on dental practice / by Henry C. Quinby. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    41/240 page 21
    upon the minds of those in charge of the child the necessity of cleanliness, if they would avoid a repetition of the suffering. Irregularity in the position or occlusion of the temporary teeth is not of sufficient importance to justify interference, unless it is caused by the infantile habit of sucking the thumb, the fingers, the lip, or the tongue — practices which, if per- severed in, as they undoubtedly are by some children, even after the temporary teeth have all disappeared, may be the cause of serious displace- ment of the permanent teeth, with malformation of the jaws. Some of the most troublesome irregularities we have to treat are traceable to this habit of sucking, and the dentist should, in all cases that come under his observation, see how the teeth close, and, if there is any fault in this respect, it should be pointed out to the parents, and the necessity for breaking up a habit so liable to cause disfigurement should be strongly urged. It will be seen at once that the weight of the hand, when the thumb is constantly in the child’s mouth, will have the effect of shortening the lower jaw and elongating the upper. The lower front teeth will have an inward inclination, showing a straight or even concave line from one canine to the other, while the upper teeth will project over the lower lip. Fig. 6 is a remarkably good illustration of the effect of this habit, which, in this case, was continued until the child was twelve years of age. Two of the lower bicuspids, as will be seen, have
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3