Foreest is the first to speak of the violent inflammation of the gums and of the whole mouth, caused by the application of artificial teeth of ivory fixed in their place with gold wire. This cannot at all astonish us when we consider how imperfectly, in those days, dental prosthesis was carried out and how the immobility of the artificial pieces, caused them to be a source of permanent irritation to the neighboring parts, especially on account of the difficulty met with in giving proper care to cleanliness. He, therefore, entirely rejects the application of artificial teeth. He is likewise but little inclined to the use of the pelican, it being very easy to break the teeth with it, and, instead, he recommends the use, whenever it be possible, of another instrument which he calls pes bovinus.

Foreest relates several cases of dental fistulæ which he had cured by the extraction of the faulty teeth. In one of these cases, observed in a lady, the fistula had opened between the nose and the cheek, so that a malady of the upper jaw was feared (and, in fact, as William Sprengel observes, it is not improbable that this was a case of affection of Highmore’s antrum); he obtained a complete cure in a short time by the extraction of a diseased tooth.

According to Peter Foreest, the existence of dental worms is as certain as is that of intestinal, auricular, and other worms. Even on the pretended efficacy of remedies, capable of making the teeth fall out without pain, he does not throw the slightest doubt.

Foreest attributes to his master, Benedictus of Faenza, the merit of having introduced into therapeutics the trephining of teeth for the cure of certain violent pains not accompanied by any external lesion of the tooth. We know, however, that the invention of this operation dates back to Archigenes. Benedictus trephined the tooth with a very fine drill (stylo vel terebello subtilissimo) and then filled it with theriac, using, likewise, as occasion required, other remedies.

To demonstrate the propriety and the necessity of laying bare the neck of the tooth before extracting it, he relates a case in which fracture of the jaw was the result of having neglected this precaution.

Among the sundry causes of the looseness of teeth, he mentions the softening of the dental nerve (emollitio), but this erroneous opinion had already been expressed by Galen.

As a means of cleaning teeth and keeping them free from tartar, he advises, among other things, the use of pumice-stone powder. He disapproves, however, of the use of oil of vitriol—unless in very minute quantities of, at the very most, one or two drops.[317]

Urbain Hémard, a surgeon to the Cardinal d’Armagnac, published in 1582, at Lyons, a booklet entitled: Recherche de la vraye anathomie des dents, nature et proprietez d’icelles, où est amplement discouru de ce qu’elles ont plus que les autres os; avecque les maladies qui leur adviennent, et les remedies. This is the first dental monograph that appeared in France. The pamphlet is written with much erudition, but its contents are almost entirely taken from preceding authors. Hémard indicates by the term deschapellement (decrowning) the removal of the crown of a tooth for curative purposes. He speaks of this operation as of a method but recently introduced into therapeutics; but, and very reasonably, too, he shows himself somewhat hostile to such a method of cure.

As to what concerns the anatomy of the teeth, Hémard’s book does not contain anything original. The following passage, transcribed by Portal,[318] shows luminously that Urbain Hémard, instead of making researches of his own, has simply copied the Italian Eustachius, translating the latter almost literally. The beauty of it is that Portal had not noticed the plagiarism in the least, since he says that if Urbain Hémard had taken into account the researches of Fallopius and Eustachius as well, his book would have acquired still greater value. But, in truth, he has taken into account, and has valued the researches of Eustachius so much as to palm them off as his own! We here quote, side by side, with a paragraph taken from Hémard’s book, the corresponding passage of Eustachius, that our readers may be convinced of the truth of what we have stated:

EUSTACHIUS.HÉMARD.
... aperta utraque maxilla occurrunt incisores, canini, ac tres molares, nimirum secundus, tertius et quartus; partim mucosi, partim ossei, non obscuræ magnitudinis, suisque præsepiolis undique vallati:
incisoribus autem et caninis docta manu detractis, tenuissimum interstitium vix osseum factum conspicitur; quo pari diligentia amoto, obviam veniunt totidem incisores et canini pene mucosi et longe minores, qui post alios priores in propriis caveis latentes, singuli singulis e regione oppositi collocati essent, nisi utriusque maxillæ caninus magna ex parte proximo incisori incumberet, eumque propterea fere occultaret.[319]
Primorum molarium et genuinorum qui circa septennium ac longe etiam postea oriuntur, fateor me nullum vestigium vidisse.
Verisimile tamen est, rationique consentaneum, eos perinde ac secundos incisores et caninos rude quoddam, sed minus perspicuum initium ortus in utero sumere; sensimque postea similiter formari et absolvi		... leur ayant ouverte l’une et l’autre mâchoire, j’y ai trouvé seulement les dents incisoyres, les canines, et les trois mâchelieres de chaque cousté de mâchoire; à sçavoir la seconde, la troysième et la quatrième, lesquelles estoit partie osseuses parti mucillagineuses, de médiocre grandeur, garnies à l’entour de leurs petits estuis ou alvéoles. Et depuis ayant tirees dehors lesdictes dents incisives et canines, il se trouve un entre-deux osseux; lequel ayant pareillement osté, il se presente de dessoubs autant de dents incisives et canines, toutes presque mucillagineuses, représentant la substance d’un blanc d’œuf à demy cuite moindres pourtant que les précédentes estant cachées dans les mesmes estuits après les premières.
Quant est des premieres mâchelieres et des gemeles qui à sept ans, ou longtemps après commencent à sortir, je confesse n’en avoir trouvé jamais aucune trace n’y commencement. Toutesfois, il est vraysemblable et raisonable aussi, qu’elles ayent pris dans la matrice, tout ainsi que les incisoyres et canines secondes, quelque petit commencement de naysance et forme, moins apparante toutefois, mais qui depuis se façonne et parfaict tout ainsi que des autres.