DENTAL TROUBLES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1497, 20 July 1912, Page 9

DENTAL TROUBLES.

HON, R. H, RHODES INTERVIEWEDr

SUGGESTED REMEDIES. IMPORTANT RESEARCH PROPOSALS. Some important proposals in roferonco to tho dental -inspection 'of school children, and denial research work, were brought under tho notieo of the Hon. l<, H. Rhodes (Minister for Publio Health) yesterday, by a deputation consisting ot delegates from the Dental Conference, now hilling in Wellington. Mr. J. Rishworth, who introduced tho deputation, said that its object was to advocate a proper inspection of school children's teeth, ■Mr. T. Hunter (Duncdin) said that as there was to bo a medical inspection of school children, tho deputation had conio to suggest (hat there should Ije an inKpcetion of school children's teeth as well. If tho four-inspectors who had been uppointed took a short course, under Protessor Pickerill at Dunedin, they might easily Womb qualified in tho denial branch, of their work. They knew very well, said Mr. Hunter, (hut tho slate of [ teeth at the present tinio represented a great evil, but. tho public did not know it as yet, and it was very desirable that tho facts of tho case should bo made generally known. Professor. Pickorill corroborated what 51 iv Himtor had said. Tho Dental Association, lie remarked, had always recognised the urgent necessity of puttim; before the people some reliable statistics m regard to tho ravages of dental caries in their children's mouths. Tiro difficulty in the past had been principally one of organ•isiition aad expense. It had always been suggested hitherto that dentists should be appointed to do the work of inspecting the teeth of school-children, and this was still to )» preferred as an ideal. They recognised, however, that (his would be impossible without v going to an extremely large expenditure, and , they thought that the work of- dental inspection might be quite eflicicn'ly and very well done in connection' with'medical inspection. Medical officers might readily acquire tho necessary dental training, as suggested by Mr. Hunter, in a very short course. If this suggestion should be adopted he would bs very pleased to give the necessary course at (ho Otago University. The country and (he Department would not be put to any increased expense. Tho only point that might be raised was us to the amount of tinio that might be occupied in going through the course. Ho would undertake, lioweyer, to givo in a fortnight such instruction in a simple method of charting as would enable lac medical officers to earry out their inspection in u period of from two to threo minutes in (he case of each child. Professor Pickerill next spoke on tlw question of research work in connection with the. bacteriology of tho mouth. Thoro wai just one littlo point ho said upon ■ which they required definite information, and upon which, up to the present time, no work had l>eon done amywhero in the world. They did not know at the present tim'o >tho bacteriological difference between the mouths of people who were susceptible to caries m e'enta] disease and the mouths of those who w.tro immune from rorics. It would bo itn extremely important matter to know' in the case of a rnco like the ancient Maoris —wao were afflicted with caries to, x very minute, dosrreo, possibly only about one per cent.—whether their' mouths wcro free from the conditions giving riso to dental caries. At present they had no knowledge whatever on the subject. As showing thai the importance of the subject was recognised not only here but at; Home, Professor Piekerill mentioned, that the Royal Society of Medicine in London had instructed him to carry out this inquiry, andliad made a grant or .£SO to forward if, with a promise of further support if _ necessary. Dr. Chantaloupe, of Dunodiu, who carried out bacteriological work for the Health Department, hail expressed Mi* willinjnnw to co-operate in (ho inquiry. The Xew Zealand Dental Association had aljo ..voted- it small sum for Iho purposes of Ibi-. inqtiir.v. Tho available funds might, or might not lie. sufficient to cover the of the inquiry, but in any c-iise they, would like to havo the moral support of the Health. Department in carrying on this work ■ Tho Department, had many facilities at command, which, if afforded in furtherance of the inquiry, _ would moke tho work , , much simpler and easier. It might not bo possible, ts. find , in this country a tribe ,of Maoris sufiiciontly uncivilised fer thV purposes of this inquiry, hi that case they proposed to take an expedition down to one of the islands. Should, this Vjn necessary (hey might ask for '«, email' grant from tho Government. Tho Minister said that iii regard to the request that medical officers .should in-1 sped (ho teeth of school-children, ' n thought it ono. that tho Department could , meet. The suggestion had his syinpathy, and they tad made it very easy for thw Department nnd for tho Government ta accept it by olToring to civo the necessary instruction to the medical officers in a. fortnight. He would put the matter before his colleagues, and recommend that they fall in with the suggestion.; Later on, the Minister remarked, it might be necessary to have, a more thorough inspection. Professor Pickerill said that it was hard to say at this staje. Tho Minister: You would bo satisfied meantime to await tlm results of the inspection now proposed? . ■ Professor Pickerill: Yμ. Tho Minister said that he couM see the importance of the proposed -research ivorfc. from what he. had heard recently. They had impressed him as he had never Iwcn impressed before as to t'lio evils that utcso from dcntiil defects. Thdy would, of course, have the-sympathy of,tho Department in their research work. ■ From a brief conversation which took' placo at this .'law it appeared that Professor Piekerill nroposed in the first: place to go into the Urrweru Country, taking a full equipment of bacteriological instruments and appliances Tho Minister snid that he would be prepared to-coiisidiT the mailer when it assumed definite shaiir. , "Where we con help you. we will," he remarked in conclusion, "-.ind it it is necessity to go to the islands you nuiy tome before (ho He. partmont a?;\in v;ith an evtiuntp of the cost, and the matter'will be jjiven every consideration."