DENTAL PROSPECTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1496, 19 July 1912, Page 6

DENTAL PROSPECTS.

SOME PLAIN TALK. THE DUTY OF LOCAL BODIES. SPEECHES BY MINISTERS. The Auckland delegates to the Dental Conference now sittuig in Wellington entertained delegates from other parts of the .Dominion at a social gathering in tlio Burlington rooms last evening. Dr. H. Cox (Auckland) presided. About 50 delegates attended, and the Hon. James Allen and the Hon. 1!-. H. Idiocies Wlto present during r.hi; latter part of the evening. Proposing the toast of "tho Now Zealand Dental School," Dr. N. IC. Cox (Timaru) said that .they all knew tho value of the school to dentists and to tho public. All graduates of the school were thoroughly equipped, and tho public had the. satisfaction of knowing that they had tho guarantee which the degrea of "13 D.S." gave. He knew of no other case where practitioners themselves hail supplied the goods necessary to found a school. U'ho institution had suffered one or two rebuffs, but it was a child of sturdy growth. Tho toast was. coupled with tho naino of Professor. Pickerill (Dunedin). Dr. Cox testified to the good work which Professor I'ickerill had done since his arrival in New Zealand.

The Dental School. Professor Pickerill said that ho -was. extremely glad lo know that dentists appreciated the efforts that had been made to place the Dental School at Dunedin upon a satisfactory and . sound basis. Some difficulties had been encountered, but he hoped that the school- would now find its feet, -and go forward without looking back. He knew that members of the Denial Association looked upon the school as their offspring. So far some fifty students hod passed through tho school. Most of the.so had licen men who had come down for post-graduate courses, usually of six months. So far there had been only five graduates. Tho school had been established fol five years, and the number of .students attending at present was about twelve. It could not be said that enough graduates wero being turned out to meet tho needs of tho Dominion in the future, but the market had been flooded and overslocked with dentists during tho last few years. No doubt students would he more numorous in the Futura than they had been in the past. There was no doubt that when the Dental Acts were before Parlaiment a large number of men had been rushed through because they saw a chance of getting through at the last moment without Koing through the full curriculum. Athirfg upon which he. had lwcn approached was the cost of the curriculum as compared with the cost in other countries. He had carefully compared the, cost of the local course with that incurred at leading schools in America and England, and in a majority of cases the cost was no more here than it was at leading schools abroad. This was not.generally thought to be.so, but actually the four years' courso cost less here than at tho leading American schools. Unfortunately, in the local school at pre-Kf-nt fees had to be somewhat high. The University of Otago was a povertystricken body. Ho hoped that in the near future it would be found possible to cut down the cost of the dantal course very considerably. At present the highest fees at the university were for dentistry.

. -. A Duty.Shirked. A ' question' upon which lie would like to ■touch Was tho-assistance Hint Hospital ami' Charitable Aid Boards lniglit 'offer to dentists. The Dental School was at present ■doing a large amount of charitable work, but received no recognition whatever from the Ciiaritablo Aid Board of the district. lie Charitable Aid Board in the Otago district was shirking its duty. This and similar boards throughout 'the country should recognise that it was their diit'v to provide dental treatment for tho poorer classes of patients. All loc.nl bodies .should agitate* in favour of Hospital .-md Charitable Aid Boards recognising their responsibilities in. this respect, and establishing dental clinics in all centres, for the treatment of classes of patients who could not afford to pay for dental treatment. Tho Dental School of Otago, Professor Pickerill continued, was primarily a. teaching institution, and that charac(or must be retained. Dr. Cox had touched upon the value of the work that scientists did. Helping the Unfit. It was probably as true that scientists needed the assistance of practical men as that practical men needed the assistance ot scientists. By way of illustrating tho' dangers of taking an ultra-philosophical view, Professor Pickerill.asked his 'hearers tn consider whother they were not as dentists, helping to bring about the survival of tho unfit. Was it possible, he' asked, for any dentist logically to bo as=ociated with any eugenics society. He ventured to say that if there h.-d Wn no dentists at all, the race as a wliole would have been very much better. (Laughter.) Speculations of 'this kind showed, Professor Pickerill. remarked that if you became ultra-philosophical, you got. nowhere at all. He followed up his point by asking what would become ot dentists if some means wero discovered of absolutely preventing caries in diseases of ,the mouth A.voice: We could grow apple«. After further elaboration of liis topic Professor Pickerill concluded by declaring that dentists, like-other men. should have I one end in view, and should "follow tho gleam.' trusting that all would* come right in the end. , ' .

Toasting the Government. Mr. T A Hunter (Dunodin) proposed lie toast of "The Present Government" ihe announcement of the toast was loudly applauded, and throe cheers were riven for Mr. Massey. ,Al r . Hunter said that dentists felt that their humanitarian aims ami the nature of their work entitled Them to more sympathy from the men in power than they had received in the past. With the class of men now in power, he felt confident that thev would get sympathy, at least, and help if p 0 ?: Fiblo. Mr, Hunter coupled the toast, with (lie names of the Hon. J. Allen and the Hon. ]?. H. Rhodes.

. Mr. Allen in Reply. The Hon. James Allen, in responding thanked the delegates for ttve hoartv reception given to the Ministers present. He also thanked delegates, aiid particularly Auckland delegates, for the heartiness with which they had greeted the mention of Mr. Massey's name. The indomitable pluck and energy of the new Prime Minister accounted for the position that lie was in to-day. Honesty of purpose.-energy, pluck, and endurance made Mr. Massey t.lio head and giant of them al . The same pluck and energy that he had put. into his work as Leader of the Opposition would to applied to his constructive work as Prime Minister The cheers given in Mr. Massey's honour at a future Dental Conference, Mr. 411 en predicted, would be even more hearty than those given that evening. Mr. Allen apologised on behalf of Mr Bell, who had found ■ himself unable to attend.

. The Government, be. went on to remark, was now in office. Somo of them had had twenty-one, j-poxs' experience in something; else than Government ranks and if they had not ■ learned something in that time tlwy ought to havo learned it. lie liad I>een interested in t!ic dental profession for many years. Hβ was in lli.a Jlo'usp when Mr. "Si'dey was enabled lo nut the dental legislation on tho Stiitut" Book/ That legislation had been amended from time to time since, and ho was very sorry that the amendments had been made. (Hear, hear) The intention of the legislation, was to give tiv dental orofession a standing nt. Iμ *t as high, it' not higher, than that, of the medical profession. . .

A Humanitarian Prcfession. Dentistry, said. Mr. ~\[|i>n, wn* a humanitarian profession. There was a "rent work lo be done by medical men and |>y dentists in this Domini.m. He believed it was true that !)8 pfr cent, of tile c-:liil-<lron nthiiiding A'cw Zealand schools had faulty teeth. Dental.caries in New Zealand wris becoming a meuuee ■ .\ voice: qiiile true! That being Jfr. Allen roniinued mi-mbCTs of rarliament ,i.n.-l Hi<> Government must look to dentists to holp them out of their difficulty. They must remove Hie stißina. resting upon them. It w. not. right that. OS per cent, of the children 'at school .should liflve bod teeth Tlvws could: not Iμ any iiotler work'tnon ; fchat of buildins up a naijoa »nd rnakins.

it physically strong and healthy. Without that there could not bo a groat people. The Government would do all that it could to help and assist dentists. Jn return, it nould look lor such assis(anco from professional men as would enable it to relieve the country of the evils from which it now suffered. Mr. Allen praised the work tloiro by l'rofessor I'ickerill. remarking that lie had <.ono as much to advance the treatment ot dental caries as any member of his profession. T!io .Minister concluded l>y assuring his hearers that they would have, the sympathy and support of the. Liovernment in their endwnours.

Remarks fay Mr. Rhodes. The Hon. ]{. 11. J'hodcs remarked that at present most of his time was taken up witn postal mat-tors, but the Department of Public Health was second to none in importance, mid ho hoped to tco it develop. . So far as he was concerned, he could assure them that dentists would havo his sympathy in their work. He understood that ho was to meet some of (hem on the morrow, and he assured them that he would endeavour to meet them m every possible way. He could promise them not only his own sympathy, but that of his colleagues, for they recognised,' as he did, the importance of caring for the public health.

Denial Hospitals Proposed. , Dr. Gibbes, in proposing the foast of Hie ;Sew Zealand Dental Association," spoke of the relation that united members of the medical and dental professions. In future, he predicted, cither the medical courso would bo so adapted as to suit-dentists, or the course for dentists would be expanded. Half of tho ills that medical meai had to deal with, Dr. Gibbes declared, had their origin in dental caries or in denial defects. Touching upon tho recont appointment of officers to conduct a medical inspection of school children, Dr. Gibbes expressed an opinion that dentists should endeavour to have special prominence given, in this medical inspection, to tho inspection of the teeth in schoolchildren. After what had been said that evening, there should be no difficulty in securing the establishment of dental hospitals under tlie. jurisdiction of hospital and charitable aid boards.

Promiscuous Charity—A Danger. Mr. J. Eisliworlh responded. He emphasised tho value of the activities '.-\ which dentsts were engaged. It was a proud thing for members of the dental profession to know that they wore trying hard to- induce the Government to take steps for the benefit of the people, which would tend, if taken, to eliminate. th« profession of the dentist. More harm w-is done to tho public health by dental caries, Mr. liishworth declared, than was done by alcohol. Mr. liishworth emphasised the inadvisability of replacing tho present neglect in dental matters by promiscuous charity. It was not too much to say,, he .contended, ' that- promiscuous charity might do more harm than leaving the tecfh alone. It was not that dentists wanted to: fill their pockets, nut people should be taught to pay their just, debts, and to meet' tho claims that devolved upon them as parents.. A dental inspection of the 'teeth--of school children nncfiit be. oarried out by the four officers appointed to make a medical inspection. The results of a dental, inspection, Mr. Eishworth declared, would be startling. -,

The.Example of Auckland. The chairman proposed the toast of "The' British Medical Association." In posing, ho remarked that dentists would undoubtedly-do all that they could to assist the Government. In Auckland, dentists supplied an honorary hospital staff, and he was•confident that other centres would - .follow the example: of Auckland.' It was a question, ho considered, whether dentists-.should be asked' to take the 'additional subjects necessary to enable them to get a medical degree. A Question of Control. Dr. Holmes, who responded, apologised on behalf -of the president of tlia British Medic.il Association (Dr. M'Lenn), who was unable to attend. Dr. Holmes advised dentists to profit by tho mistakes of the Medical Association. In establishing dental clinics, the' Dental Association should ns far as'possible- keep control of the clinics in their own hands. Tho m«<lic.il profession ■ had neglected to do this, and was rapidly being nationalised. The tendency now was to get all your attention, medical and dental, for nofliiu"" It was not without thought that ho advired dentists to keep clinics in their own control, even at tho cost of not getting any support from the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards. Every member of the Medical Association looked upon the Dental Association as one that had to be supported. If in isolated cases this support was not given, it-was due to lack of organisation.' A number of musical items were contributed during tho evening. Mt. D. hemiy acted as accompanist.