PREVENTING DECAY IN TEETH

Chronicle (Levin), 7 September 1949, Page 6

PREVENTING DECAY IN TEETH

Press AssociationJ

Flnorine Trealment For All School Pupils

(Per

' "WELLINGTON, Sept. 6. The fluorine treatment of teeth to prevent decay, is to be introdueed throughoiit the school dental serviee, said the Minister of Health, Miss Howard, today. / She said a study of the effect of flnorine under i\ew Zealand conditions, had been made by the dental division of the JDepartment of Health and treated teeth sliowed 36 per cent less new dentai decay after a year tlian did the nntreated teeth whieh served as a "control. " Miss.. Howard said the United States Government was so conee'rned at the high rate of dental decay, tliat it -wras spending 1,000,000 dollars to have Huorine treatment adopted throiighout the United States. If this relatively simple treatment proved even hali as eft'ective in New Zealand as it had in Americaj it would still reliresent the biggest advance made in this country in the figlit against dental decay. This i'orm of treatment whicb had been developed in the United States, had been f'ound there to reduce dental decay in. children by 40 per cent. it was a simple and sat'e treatiiient and would be iutroduced tliroughout the school dental service as soon as the staff was made familiar with the tecb nique, and arrangenient to that end vvere now being made. Miss Howard stressed, liowever. that the introduetion of tlie fiuorine treatment would not do away with the need for personal bygieue and the avoidance ot' foodstuffs known to produce dental decay. Fiuorine. would help to give better results but must not be eounted on to replacc tliese personal efforts to niastei dental decay.