CHILDREN'S TEETH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1803, 16 July 1913, Page 3

CHILDREN'S TEETH.

CARELESS PERSONS; GRATEFUL TEACHERS. AUCKLAND LEADS N-Z. ~T ' Prominent iu the active campaign for the health of the children is Mr. 1. Rishwortli, ot' Auckland, who has thrown himself into the movement with an enthusiasm worthy of all praise. Many difficulties have been thrown in the way ot tiio reformer and his colleagues, and been sunnounted. - "We have had inspection, of school children's teeth by the Auckland Dental Association, in conjunction with the Auckland- Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, tor sixteen or seventeen months," said Mr. liishworth. "During that time we have examined about 4000 pupils. Wo discovered in one school of 800 not more than'so who had over consulted a dentist except for the purpose of having an aching tooth extracted. We found that there was no knowledge displayed of how to keep the mouth clean, and no idea of the. necessity of it. It seemed that, though a child would find it more or less obligatory to wash its face and hands in the mornings, accumulations of food would remain in the teeth for months. These accumulations were swallowed from time to time with the food, and passed into the child's system to a greater or less extent, and interfered with the nutrition of tha body. "As a result of the inspections which have been held during the last four years, we have been ablcsto bring the teeth of tho children back to a normal state; we have given instructions as to how to keep the mouths clean; and have urged upon the children the necessity of regular attendance at the hospital, so that the work done shall bo properly looked after, ami further decay kept in check. "We have discovered that tho parents take little interest in this matter, and do not seem to realise the urgent necessity for a clean mouth. It is only when they are disturbed in their night's rest by a crying child, that they think of sending the sufferer to a dentist. "When once the children appreciate the necessity of a clean month they have very little trouble with dental caries. I have seen soino children come from the schools to the hospital with every tooth badly decayed, so that it is impossible for them to masticate any food harder than newbread, and their general condition is deplorable. Is it any wonder that under such conditions children should show lack of nutrition and weak physical development? Within a few months of receiving attention they show a wonderful improvement. "Many of the teachers nt the schools have gladly testified as to the good -work done. We have one stipendiary and twenty-nine honorary dentists engaged in the inspection. Each of the honorary dentists givo a morning in each week throughout the year to their self-imposed task. You can imagine, under the conditions I have described, that much of their work is of a distasteful, and often a repugnant, nature. Wo have a dental hospital properly equipped in High Street, convenient to the city. Already over 2000 juvenile patients have passed and repassed through our hands. "Wo haro had trouble in arranging a proper system of getting the children from the schools to the local hospital. Children used t,o make the excuse of going to tho hospital to "play tho wag," so we have issued an appointment card. On that card is entered the time they are required at the hospital, the time the operation is completed, and tho time 'they leavo the hospitnl. "The teachers, who nt first put difficulties iu the way, are now very sympathetic. They realise that the children am more lit for their work, and they 'are getting better results. Personally, I think this honorary work should not go on for a long period. The Auckland people have had the benefit of our skill and experience for a number of years. We have demonstrated the necessity and tho benefits of the new order of things, and we now cxj>ect them to take the work off our hands: This will not, of 'course, relievo us of private charity work, which is incidental to all dental practice. There is a class of people who will not go to a dental hospital, but have yet to lye treated free." As showing the difficulties which the Auckland dentists had to overcome in introducing the scheme, Mr. Rishworth said it had taken four years of constant agitation to get tho hospital established, and two years to get the Education Board to agree to allow the children to attend during school hours for treatment.