CHILDREN'S TEETH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 437, 20 February 1909, Page 6

CHILDREN'S TEETH.

~p ''v, SOME ADVICE TO PARENTS. ■ (BY TELEURAPH—PRESSvASSOOIATION.)" Auckland, February 19. _ Dr. A. E. Sykes,,dental;professor of :San Dental .Confer-, ence ! in: Wellington last month, mado some | interesting remaike; to. a reporter! tdrday cOn-' corning tho need .for .the'care' "of children's teeth; ; ' ..

Dr. ; Sylces said'. that.since; He. had boon iii New. Zealand he had been asked how it was that the people of -this* Dominion had! such poor teeth. . V • "I bare noticed- myself;;'. he .remarked,■ -that .very few people .here are without artificial work in their: mouths... This is■: very noticeable-I .Have- seen '.beautiful -young ■girls wearing full .dentures.- -v.'l <ha,ve been . asked whether the bai teeth of tho people of. New -Zealand are duetto lack of lime salts,: or whether the children are improperly fed, or what the cause is. I can say, in reply, -; that tho principal cause' is .the neglect. of tho teeth of .children -of, {three years . and : older- ; . Everyone' knows • how: little children suffer toothache, and with little abcesses on the gums long before the second set begins ; to';' - appear.; : ... This - inflammation causes,• im- ■ peded, circulation.:of, the {vessels ;that .supply' the' formative" organs of. tile second, teeth. As the formative;organs depend on:the blood supply, for. the lime salts'wnich. are. deposited iii . them, .they . will be imperfectly formed owing :to the non-receipt of nourishment. When-parents recognise' the'fact that - it is just as necessary.;',to. keep.;their' children's .first-teeth -perfectly clean; and .take the .children to the dentist to fill;.tbe. little' cavities, they will find that they will, bring about a normal formation of the jaws 'and more, j strongly formed permanent, teeth.' : If .the first or ■temporary teeth are neglected,- the 'child cannot masticate its food' properly, and . the digestion is interfered with. : . The - food ;not 'being properly assimilated,-the elements': do not get into, the- blood that are necessary to form good, hard teeth structure." ■w They New. Zealand Dental Association, Dr.Sykes went on to say, is oofnpiling- a' lecture whioh it hopes to have read to sohool children ;in the Dominion', - and also to : put : into the ■hahds of- parent?, so as to instruct them how to take'- care of the teeth. ■: The association also-intends; to have certain dentists'in each- . town deputed to; examine the children's s teeth at' schobl,: and report on their condition: to-' ;the various parents through the headmasters. This reform should :be' in -hand- before the end-of tho year, and ho hoped it would be supported by '. the Minister and boards of education. .- ■ '