The Dominion MONDAY NOVEMBER 22, 1920. DENTISTRY IN SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 49, 22 November 1920, Page 4

The Dominion MONDAY NOVEMBER 22, 1920. DENTISTRY IN SCHOOLS

It would be a great pity if tie extension of tho State scheme of school dentistry were hindered by demands for a degree of perfection in organisation which at present is unattainable. It is one of the principal facts to be kept in mind in considering this question that the work of checking and counteracting dental disease is extremely urgent, and ought to be undertaken comprehensively with as little delay as possible. Authorities are agreed that effective remedial measures against the tooth decay to which from 92 to 95 per cent, of the people of civilised nations are more or less subject will result in an all-round improvement in standards of public health, and, in tho case of children of school age;, will tend to eliminate the cause 'of a degree of physical and montal 'deficiency which, "apart; from humanitarian considerations, involves an economicfactor of the highest importance." ~ The magnitude and urgency of tho problem, of course, afford no excusefor adopting inefficient methods, b/iit they undoubtedly warrant such departures from routine and customary procedure as arc noti inconsistent with efficiency, and will assist in overcoming practical difficulties. To the layman it must appear' that Professor Pickeriu, and other critics of the projected system of school dentistry arc taking up an unreasonable attitude, particularly in their demand that only fully-qualified dentists should he allowed to participate in tho work. As the Minister of Education and Health (Mr. Parr) has pointed out, this extreme view is hot upheld by a majority of tho members of the dental profession. On the- contrary the Minister is able to quote the president of the New Zealand Dental Association (Mb. N. Mitchell) as. stating that it is satisfied that tho Government scheme offers the only reasonable hope of success. The scheme as it is outlined, offers a means of rapidly developing an organisation capable of dealing comprehensively with dental disease amongst School children. An essential feature is the intensive training of women dental nurses for a period of two years. After being trained, thesenurses will be employed, not in doing dental- work on . their own initiative and responsibility, hue m carrying out denned duties under the direction and supervision of qualified dentists. Evidently the idea is not to substitute partlytrained nurses for qualified dentists, but to employ nurses intensively trained in certain branches of dental work in such a way' that the working scope of the qualified dentists available will be greatly extended and enlarged. With the nurses carefully trained in their special duties, and their work not only charted and directed in the first instance, but subsequently inspected by qualified practitioners, there, ought to be no difficulty in maintaining throughout high'standards of efficiency. Preventive dentistry, as Mr. Parr has said, is the ideal, and a shortage of qualified dentists is certainly not an adequate reason for withholding from the members of the rising generation the simple treatment which in many cases will suffice to correct dental defects and give the children concerned better' health and improved prospects.' In view of the serious effects of dental ease upon the health and well-being of the community, it is no doubt desirable- that systematic efforts should bo made to overcome the present shortage of dentists. Apart from the question of offering greater inducements to students to take up the profession, it may be advisable in this connection to consider the desirability of establishing another Dental School, which' naturally would be located in the North Island. It seems by no means unlikely, however, that) nurses trained to carry out special duties under supervision may take a permanent and useful place in the system of school dentistry. In any case tho scheme, as matters stand, commends itself as a practical approach to the solution of an urgent problem which has been too long neglected, and tho Minister of Education and HEALTH ought to be very heartily supported in his efforts to put it successfully into operation. A promising detail feature of the scheme is the, proposal to utilise .ambulances as travelling clinics in this way school children in outlying districts will bo enabled- to participate with tho ß e of the .largo centres and provincial towns in the benefits of systematic dental treatment.