DENTAL PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 59, 3 December 1920, Page 8

DENTAL PROBLEMS

REPRESENTATIONS 10 THE MINISTER NEED FOR INVESTIGATION A deputation representing unregistered dentists interviewed tho Minister of Health (Hon. C. 3'. Parrl yesterday to ask that provision should be made for (their registration. The speakers stated that there were in New Zealand about fifty dental mechanics, who had done dental work for several years, somo of them with tho Expeditionary Force. They were able to practice at presenu under tho direction of registered dentists, but they could not obtain registration, with tho right to practice on their own account, unless they wok the full four years' course at tho Dental School in Dunedin. It wns suggested that they should be allowed to take a modified coufso of one year, preferably in tho cilfi- in which they wore living. ■ Australia had made provision for the registration of qualified unregistered dentists, and Jho door was then to lie closed against unregistered men altogether.

The' Minister replied' that the maintenance of a high standard of professional efficiency among the dentists was desirablo. and it might be a serious thing to permit the registration of men who had not received the prfscribed mining. But he had to face th* fact that thero wero not enough dentists in New Zealand at the prcsenti time. If the people real, ised fully the importance of caro nf th» teeth, the number of dentists would require to be doubled. A very good dental school wns in operation in Dunerlin, but. tho coat of the training was tno great in the case of bovs whoso homes were in other parts of the country. Tho number of bursaries necessarily was limited. He had before him now a request for the erection of additional accommodation at 'die dental school at a cost, of about .£90,000. This was stated to bs required for the existing number of students. The Government was being asked also to spend .£IOO,OOO on the medical school at Dunedin. More.dentists had to be provided, and a claim had been made that training should be provided elsewhere than in Dunedin. Auckland people had made strong representations on this point. He intended to go into nhn whole question, and he would consider the claims of the unregistered dentists. . e The Minister added that he intended to proceed with the scheme for training suitable women lib deal with children's tenth. He was satisfied that the scheme was sound. Women who had received a two years' intensive course would bo as well qualified as fourth-year students to undertake vhe simple work that would bo required of them among ' tho children. They would not require to perforin tho more difficult operations, which would be reserved for fully qualified dentists. Members of the deputation suggested that 'ihe unregistered dentists might he prejudiced by the work of these women, who would have a status that was denied to men possessed of higher qualifications. Mr. Parr assured ths deputation thai tho women would not come into competition with ordinary dontists nt all. .They would not. be eligible lb undertake private practice. They would bo employed by tho Department, and they would handle a class of work that was being very largely neglected at the present time. Speaking tb a reporter later in the day. the Minister of Health stated that he might find it advisable to obtain a report from a competent commit'tee or commission on various questions connected with the dental Tjrofession. More dentists were needed, but it appeared that Vile four years' course at Dunedin could not be taken by boys whose meanswere small, and whose homes were in other towns. The bursaries offered by the Government were nt tho rateof .£SO a year, and they were not sought to any extent by youths outside Otago. The amount was not largo, but if the State was to undertake ilhe provision of board; lodging, and training for young dentisti, the coat would be very heavy, and the demand for similar treatment tmight come from other professions. It appeared, also, that under tho present law an unqualified mnn could practice as long as he remained under the direction, possibly merely nominnl, of a registered dentist. The demand' for heavy additional expenditure on buildings at Dunedin raised the whole question of policy. SCHOOL DENTISTRY GOVERNMENT SCHEME SUPPORTED Bv Telecraoh--Proas Association. - Timaru,'December 2. Dr. • N. K. Cox makes tho following commniuuication to the ''Herald":— "From a question of ethics point of view t;hc matter of school dentistry should never at this stage of the proceedings havo been, publicly discussed through the Press or any other agoncy. The time for Dr. Pickerill and his coobieotovs to »make a protest has .passed. It should have been made immediately after tho meeting of the executive in Wellington on September 5; at which representatives of practically all branches were present. Tho school dental scheme was thoroughly discussed, and alter much argumentation was approved of by l(i voted to 7, and recommended tb the Government, and I venture to say that if those representatives were called together again to-day they would i«i a man vote in exactly the same way. If Dr. Pickerill (Dean of • the Dental Faculty, Otago University) was not satisfled with this result, why did he not immediately proceed on constitutional lines, and cull a meeting of the associa-. tion Ho was for some years honorary becretary of the association, and nobody should have known better than he tlho correct raodo of procedure in such a case, but not a word came from Dr. Pickerill for many weeks, until almost simultaneously it was announced that a school would be started in Wellington for the purpose of teaching school dental operators, and the southern papers became flooded witfh, laborious objections to tho scheme. To wait until the Governmen.l had accepted the executive's recommendation, .aud to allow it to proceed to carry out the scheme, and then mako a public proiiest as, I consider, unfair and disloyal to both Government and tho association, and can ouly result in misleading the public and raising unnecessary apprehension. I sincerely trust the Minister of Education will stand firm and pursue tho only logical course open to him, and that is to accept tho advice of his Director and the recommendation of tho executive of the New . Zealand Dental Association. Mr. T. A-. Hunter, the Director of Schoolr Dentistry, who, as Director of Oho Army Dontnl' Corps, was in charge of its successful career from start to finish, is a man of high integrity, ability, and sincerity. He has approached tho school dental problem with an open mind, and has coine to the conclusion tlhat the scheme which was .proposed by him and accepted by a large majority of. the representatives of branches, wns the only workable solution of a problem that has hitherto not been ihckled by any nation by menns of a Governmental Deportment; I venture to|Biiy that 50 per cent; of tho work of tho students studying for their dentbl degree has no bearing upon the work of the school dental operator, and that a person, male or female, who goes through a dental school of intensive and specialised training for idvo or three years will be a fitter person to look after our children than a broader educated man from tho University. For the particular purpose for which they will lie used, these female school dental operators will not bo half trained, as Dr. Pickerill. suggsts. but most efficiently trained. Tho public can rest assured that under Mr. Hunter's management the school dentnl operators will not bo allowed to do any operation which they are not thoroughly capable of carrying out."

DENTISTS' OBJECTIONS. Bv TelcsraDh—Press Association.

Invercargill, December 2. At a meeting of the Southland branch of '.file Dentnl Association 'resolutions were adopted in connection with the school dental scheme as follow:—"(1) That this branch does not object to women being trained for teaching oral hygiene, but does strongly object.- to unqualified 'women boing allowed to do dentnl operations such as extractions and fillings; (2) that in the opinion of this branch the work is of such vital importance' that none but qualified and experienced operators should bo employed