DENTAL RESEARCH

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20492, 10 March 1932, Page 11

DENTAL RESEARCH

PROGRESS IN UNITED STATES. EDUCATION IN ORAL HYGIENE. "Oral conditions are much better in the United States than in New Zealand, because, I believe, they have educated the public on correct diet and the care of the mouth," said Mr D. J. Martin, 8.D.5., a Christcliurch dental surgeon, who returned yesterday from tiia studies abroad. Mr Martin attended the Mayo Clinic and the schools of dental surgery at Chicago, New York, and Toronto. He also spent some time in England. "In the United States dentistry has come much to the fore in recent years, 1 ' he said. "Advertising and the radio have played a great part in the education of the American people to correct diet and a proper oral hygiene. One cau-' not but be struck with the variety and sapidity of the American diet. A great amount of vegetables and raw fruit are consumed. The people generally take a pride in their mouth hygiene, and this has resulted in a strong demand for efficient dentistry which has been answered by the profession." Excellent Equipment. A marked feature of dental work m the United States was the excellent way in which the colleges and hospitals had been equipped, though in this respect New Zealand was by no means backward and had every reason to be proud of the equipment and training provided at the Dunedin Dental College. The £ne equipment in the States had been made possible by the unbounded prosperity of recent years, and" by the Government's liberal support. It was a great incentive to research work, much of which was being carried on especially in the etiology and treatment of dental caries and pyorrhea. The deli-

nite advances being made in these fields were encouraging. "There were many enquiries about our State dental service," added Mr Martin, "and all felt it an excellent system to combat the ravages of dental caries in New Zealand." j Progress in England. The advance in England has scarcely been as rapid, partly because of the years of depression which followed the Great War, and partly because of a more conservative attitude of mind. The equipment was perhaps not,so modern* as that in the United States, but the theoretical training was of a very high standard. In spite of difficult conditions, dentists were indebted to much valuable research work in Britain, which, in many cases, had been carried out by individual workers.