When removing the anterior teeth or those on the left side of the mouth, the operator should stand on the right side and slightly in front of the patient. The left hand should be placed as follows: the second finger on the lingual side, and the first on the labial side of the alveolus of the tooth to be extracted, the thumb being placed under the chin ([fig. 26]).
When employing forceps of the straight pattern shown in [fig. 30], the operator should stand as shown in [fig. 26], but it will be found difficult to place the fingers of the left hand on either side of the alveolus, indeed they can only well be used for retracting the cheek and supporting the jaw.
In removing teeth from the lower jaw, the operator should be careful, in raising the tooth from the socket, to guard against a sudden separation of the tooth from its attachments which might result in damage to the upper teeth.
Fig. 27.
(a) Lower Incisors.—These teeth each have a single root which is much flattened laterally. For their removal, forceps similar to those shown in [fig. 27] should be used, the blades being equal segments of the same circle. The lingual blade should be applied first, the loosening movement being made by taking the tooth slightly inwards and then outwards, the final extractive force being upwards and outwards.
The removal of lower incisor roots is carried out in a similar manner.
(b) Lower Canines.—The lower canines have normally one root, which is flattened laterally. In comparison with the incisors, the root is stronger and longer. The removal of a lower canine is carried out in a manner similar to that employed for a lower incisor, but as the tooth presents more resistance, a greater amount of force is usually required.
(c) Lower Bicuspids.—The lower bicuspids have normally one root which is conical in shape. In the first bicuspid the conical shape of the root is not so marked as in the second, the outer aspect being the arc of rather a larger circle than the posterior. Forceps similar to those shown in [fig. 27] may be used, the blades for all practical purposes being equal in size and shape. The lingual blade of the instrument should be applied first, the severing of the tooth from its attachments being carried out by a slight rotary movement around the long axis of the tooth first in one direction and then in the other; should this not succeed, a slight inward followed by an outward movement may be tried, the tooth being raised from its socket by force applied in an upward and slightly outward direction.