The operator should place himself so as to use his force to the greatest advantage. His left arm may be utilised, if necessary, for steadying the movements of the patient’s head, while the fingers of the left hand can be employed—
(1) To keep the cheek and other soft parts away so as to obtain a clear view of the tooth to be extracted and its immediate neighbours;
(2) To support the mandible;
(3) To grasp the alveolus and so allow some idea to be gained of the effect of the force employed.
The special positions for the removal of different teeth will be described in chapter ii.
It may be advantageous, before describing the steps of the operation of extraction, to refer briefly to a few points in the anatomy of the teeth and jaws which have a direct bearing upon the manner of carrying it out.
If the teeth be examined it will be noticed that they are capable of division into—
(1) Teeth with single, rounded tapering roots;
(2) Teeth with single roots more or less irregularly flattened or curved;
(3) Teeth with multiple roots.