DISHONEST DENTAL WORK

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 47, 19 November 1920, Page 8

DISHONEST DENTAL WORK

PRACTICES THAT MAKE BAD TEETH .' WORSE WELLINGTON DENTIST GIVES INSTANCES Sonic alarm has been, caused by tho cabled precis of a paper read before nu important dental conference in Sydney this week by a member of the profession, who stilted that "many dentists, rather than rectify small deficiencies in a patient's mouth which might lead to serious results, preferred to allow the process of decay to proceed so that a source of future income might remain. At least 90 per cent, of dentists took no nreventivo measures where there wcro indications of futuve decay, knowing that the patient would present himself again within a few months for a now filling to lie chargod up." In view of the importance of this "alarm signal" from Sydney, a DOMINION importer waited on a Wellington dentist of high standing, and asked if anything nf (lie kind occurred in New Zealand. He admitted regretfully that there were, dentists practising in this country who did not do their work -properly, andthereby encouraged tho destruction of the teeth. ' , "1 have frequently, lie said, taken out fillings-fillings only a few months I old—to find that tho cavity had never I been properly cleaned out. The dentist who does such work, if he knows anything about his work at all, must know yevy well that a person so treated would have to return for an extraction or further treatment within six or eight months. And it is 1101 surprising-suc i men as I refer to cannot do the work properly at tho low prices they charge. When a tooth is to be filled tho utmost rare should be taken to take away eyory speck—the cleaning out of ft cavity is veally the most important part of the work, as it is on the thoroughness with which such work is done that the wotk stands , ' , "I have even had people come to me with bridges over teeth that have be»n split in the riveting process. Iho dentist concerned had not revealed to his client that a tooth had been split, but went on patching hi up with a makeshift bridge, and within six months tho client, visited me to ascertain what was the matter with this tooth. Any dentist of any experience at all could quote examples of the shimmy work, done by cheap dentists, who rush the work through, and collect the cash on the spot. It is such dentists; I suppose, that the writer of the paper at the Sydney congress referred to. The type 18 not confined to Sydney-he is everywhere. . A World Problem. "I don't suppose there is a more Impoiv.Yint physical problem before the world to-day than that concerning the teeth of the people. The rapidity with which the decay of teeth is spreading nationally u really alarming. Twenty-five years ago I don'tl suppose there were one-third of tho dentists practising in 'Wellington that there ' nro to-day. Twenty years hence, even if- the population does not increase, you will require double tho number you liavo now, and ijlicn you won't have enough to catch up. Modern civilisation is destroying human teeth so swiftly that it is a wonder to mo tlmt every nation is not frightened into ac'jion. The progress of destruction is: le«B marked, in those countries where tho people have to consume coarse flour, rye breads, and harsh foods (which need chewing); but among tho more highly civilised nations their teeth are 'going to iho dogs.' One only had to read the Army s'&tistics to .See that.

"What is everyono 6eoking in. the way of food? Nice, refined, soft, pretty dishes, which are easily digested, and are highly palatable. What does even a healthy, strong man nsk for? The tenderest, steak you have, pleaso!' Look at our women—with their morning and afternoon teas, day after day, year after year. What do such 'tween meal feeds consist of? Sugary cakes and soft biscuits, made from highly refined flour. Once in the mouth they melt into a mastic form-people with only gums could ent thcm-sincl then whau happens? Ihe biscuit pap sticks in tho interstices of the teeth, and even in au hour or two an acid is- set up which attacks lihe enamel of the teeth. No 'germ can hurt tho enamel of teeth—it is only vulnerable to tho acid which is set up by the depositing in the interstices of the very foods that arc so fashionable. Women—mothers in being or prospect—what chance are they giving their children to have good teeth? None-they are determining that their children anil children's children shall have even worse tooth trouble than they have had. "At onei time, even iii t.lio momory of living people nuts of all kinds were a popular and healthy food. Though Wellington has doubled its populaiton in thirty years, I doubt if half the nuts are oaten (as nuts, not in the granulated form) as there used to be. We turn away from all foods that give our teeth the necessary exercise for their existence, and at. the same time have cultivated a depraved taste for all kinds of pappy ■foods that directly encourage the growth of caries. School Children's Teeth. "The state of the teeth of our school children is appalling. I do hope that some really serious work and good will arise out of the Department the Government is setting up; that there will be no ornamental jobs created for persons who have not the real welfare of the nation at heart. I am afraid that the good dentists have so much to do that they will not bo able to nssist very materially, and yet the new Department must have men of the lilighost competency. It- is no use allowing others to meddle With children's teeth. There must be more dontists trained for the work, and they must be better paid. Tho whole thing is so vital that a conference of representative dontists with Government officials should be hold to go thoroughly into the problem and its solution. I mean that they should go to tho roots of it, and dictate as to wlint manner of ilour should be manufactured and what manner of food should be sold to the people. Compulsory treatment of children's teeth must be brought about if presentday dental wils are to be checked. So convinced am I that there must be a big and general reform effected that I would prophesy that within five years each of tho city schools (with from 500 to 700 children) will have its own dental parlour and dentist on tho premises, and that his time will be fully employed. The Education Board would do well to provide: such accommodation in its new schools, for thfc school dentist is com-ir-8-"