THE DENTAL PROFESSION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 2, 27 September 1917, Page 7

THE DENTAL PROFESSION

AND THB.DUNEDIN SCHOOL. An illuminating discussion rn the dental profession took place in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. A body of unregistered dentists in Auckland had applied for admission to tho register after suqh examination as might be prescribed, and their petition was favourably reported upon by a committee of the House. Some five "years ago new legislation was passed to govern admission to the dental profession. A dental school was established at the University of Otago, and a degree of dentistry was. established, which every candidate for the'profession was required to pass before he could be registered.. The. result of the new University Statutes is that a course of four years in dentistry is required, and the fees payable are ,£l4l. The total cost of the course is not less than .£6OO, and may be .£IOOO, and a degree in medicine may be obtained for very little more. The result is that tho dental degree does not appear to be much, favoured. It was pointed out in the House yesterday that there were. 72G men on the dental register in New Zealand, and that only nine of them have complied with the present requirements. Only five of these haye passed in the last four years. On the other hand, it was urged that dentists can learn their business quite well by a course of practical work with a qualified man, and the public could be safeguarded by examinations in the science and practice of dentistry. Dr. Thacker made a practical suggestion, that different grades should be made in the profession, as there was in that of medicine. Some of the lesser qualifications might be such that they could bo obtained without attendance at the Dental School. The Minister of Public Health agreed that the course was too expensive to allow rjen of modest means to take it up, and lie said that one of the results was that the output of dentists was too small for our requirements. He was not in favour of reducing the standawl, but suggested that it might be attained by praotice for,, a period of years with a qualified dentist, witli scientific instruction at technical schools, "and with a year at the University to complete thecjoiiirse. The practice or dentistry is by no means confined to registered dentists nowadays. Numbers, of unregistered men practise, and it is not illegal'for them to do so. They may not collect their fees by legal process.