Wherever, in the following work, the Author has ventured to criticise either the opinions or practice of his prede cessors, he can truly say, he has been in?uenced by no other motives, than a wish to promote the improvement of an art but too little studied, and to excite the attention of the public, and the minds of professional men in particular, to its importance. Where their sentiments ap peared founded on just observation, he has willingly adopted them, and in do ing so, he has not scrupled occasionally to borrow their language. Should what he has written, have the effect of resen ing only one individual from the suffer ings incident to a neglect of the teeth, he will not regret the time the present publication has cost him.