MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1719, 9 April 1913, Page 4

MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.

strictly avoided, and apples niul such-liko Riven, in preference. It is Inie thnl fond mothers often disapprove of tlie old habit of giving a child tlio "night chocolate," mill I Iliink that if children were brought up with the idea Hint fruit, I'lc, were lienrlicinl lo them, (hey would .isle for il. There is no doubt if this were lulliPß'd to the future Reneratioji would bo blessed with far superior teeth lo those of the pro.-ieiil: day. Tew will question the necessity of wcll-I;ept teeth for (ho Ronenil health sake, iio, Sir, although I feel that a great deal of your space could bo taken X shall rest contented if the few lines I havo penned will sow tlio sSed that in tlio near future will bear successful fruit. "Whilst thaukiiifr you for the opportunity to bring this -most, desirable reform before the jiubiic, I am sura a word of praise- will certainly be nicted out to thepresent Government by all who have the welfare of this country's future'citizens at heart.—l am, etc., i A LOVER Ol' , GOOD TEETH. 15 -Kensington Street, City.

Sir—May I once again trespass upon your spaeo to bring before'the notice of your numerous readers the much-discussed subject of medical inspection of school children at .the last general election. jNumerous' candidates at _ that-period ivero strong, advocates of this cause, but ep to tho -'present'-nothing of special note has been achieved. I wish to lay stress upon the general condition!of the teeth of children in New Zealand. I haie travelled in many countries, and X tm of opinion that in comparison Now Zea- ■ laud is a long way. behind in this mat-' ; ter. The teeth of our juvcnilo gent ration are certainly of a decaying nature, and unless something is done to biing ' 'about this necessary reform our futuro ■ . generation;,will cortainly not be as healthy I.'aStthe.present;^,-: -- It is indeed "a - regrettable feature to notice the numerous people in New, Zealand who aro.wearers of false;teeth, and who are constantly complaining of tlie ..' "defcets.lin • perhaps ono. of-the -most im-' r -portant items of : their general health. I : Although in numtrous.cases the.mothors " of : tho children aro to blame I would suggest-that the State should provide for .this urgent need. I would further sug- . Best that dental surgeons should visit tho schools at least onco a month and that' school should be instructed, to tutor their pupils on the importance of proper.;cure':"aii'dltreatment of teeth. Parents;aro. warned in all directions as regards 1 the' 'destructors of possible "beauty," but what' warning is given against tho neglect Df their .children's teeth'? It is indeed only of late that vro aro beginning to.realise how largo a patt ' tho state of our tcetli play in our personal : appearaiico. Host of us would be cout-:ut to suppoao tlmt black or .missing l'rcnt teeth ia a. circumstance, and artilijial ones welcomed, but thero is "erta'iily much more in it than that. A number of,,people , who would consult ,a. dentist for decay in a front tooth would bo quito ' indiil'eront to the extraction of their back teeth...Parents,aro constantly guilty in this respect," and moro so tho fair se.v, who aro tooUleoply interesied in their ! personal appcaranco lo pay attention to their -molars. • What happens, then, if wo lose our back teoth early in life? Tho chewing lias to bo done, and naturally tlie front ■ tooth aro then called upon to perform tho mastication of tho food. . This, of course, affects tho front teeth, and puts them out of shape, which nearly always makes them protrude. This does not, of course, add to .the beauty of the teeth. No ono likes projecting teeth, for they aro morbid and a sign of flagrant neglect soinewhore. Yet, if tho possessor hail .not ken so foolish us to think so little of llio grinders, theso projection troubles would probnbly have been averted. J.. venture .to state that all our teeth aro worth having for the .sake of personal appearance, for, whon once lost the lips uro permanently affected, as is visible in tho case of eldorly people. Therefore, I desirn' to ra-11 Die attention of tho present (jovornmont, lo the urgent, necessily of thorough dontal inspection in tho schools, and (hat children should lie taught to masticate properly, Mid grow - up to rcaliso what a valuable ussvt th-ir l, teeth: are .to,.t|ion>... .. . ' JL. in luj opinion, should ,be