DENTAL TREATMENT

Evening Star, Issue 23699, 5 October 1940, Page 12

DENTAL TREATMENT

21,000 RENDERED FIT MEN FOR OVERSEAS SERVICE [Peis United Pkess Association.] WELLINGTON, October 5. “ To ensure that the members of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force before leaving for service overseas are rendered as physically lit as possible, it has been nfecessary to carry out a great amount of dental work,” said the Hon. F. Jones to-day.

“ Since the outbreak of war nearly ,000 men have been ron dered dentally fit, and to achieve this excellent result it has been necessary to carry out a total of 47,468 fillings and 25,095 extractions. In addition, much denture work has been required. The total number of full dentures made was 3,603, and partial 1,640, white over 4,300 dentures have been remodelled and repaired.”

The Minister considered this a very fine effort, reflecting great credit on the Director of Dental Services and those under bis supervision and control. To them he expressed his warm appreciation. He was sure the work carried out so expeditiously and efficiently could have been completed only by sound organisation and the loyal cooperation of all the members of the New Zealand Dental Corps “ During the first few months of the war civilian dental practitioners played an important part when they acted as dental members of the medical boards for the purpose of conducting the medical examination of recruits and in carrying out the initial dental treatment of approximately 7,000 recruits. This entailed the inevitable dislocation of their private practice, but the work was carried out in a splendid spirit of co-operation and self-sacrifice by the civilian practitioners, resulting in additional dental treatment estimated at 18,000 fillings qnd 10,000 extractions.”