THE TEETH OF THE POOR!

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2114, 24 June 1907, Page 2

THE TEETH OF THE POOR!

The Hon. George Fowlds, Minister for Health, was waited upon on Jons 7th by a deputation representing the

dentists of Auckland. . Air. C. H. Poole, in introducing Alessrs A. AI. Carter, H. F. Bennett, Dr. Cliatfield, and A. H. Elkin, said the desire of the members of the profession was that there should be m dental department attached ' to’ tho hospital, or else that there should bo some dental institution at which tha poor could have attention paid to their teeth.

Mr. Carter said they were present - on behalf of the Auckland Dental Association, which represented 40, ; or rather more, of the dentists prao- -:v; 5 tising in the city. The,dentists felt , that suitable provision should bs made for the care of the teeth of the t poor in the city. Dentists had done, j and were still doing, a lot of gratui- ' tous work for the poor in this respect, but they thought there should be some fixed provision. His own firm, for instance, did gratuitous work for the boys at the Costley' Institution, and never a week passed : , without their services being required, . Last week there were no less than three cases of extraction with gas. Their Association had brought the matter before the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, but to no purpose. There was an honorary dentist at the hospital, but his services were not for the use of the poor, nor was there !. any proper equipment at the hospital beyond a few forceps. If a dental department were started in connection with the hospital, members of their. Association were willing to give honorary services, though :t might also be necessary to have a regular dentist employed, a young man at probably £2OO to £250 a year.

Mr. Bennett said every month thousands of teeth were extracted, which should: have been saved if proper attention had been given to ■ them. This wholesale slaughter of a valuable organ went on, throughout the colony, and their aim was to stop it. One of the first causes of disease was bad teeth. School children’s teeth, in particular, required.'careful attention. Dr. Chatfield said he did a good' deal of dental work at the Orphans’ V' Homo, but all he could do" was to remove the teeth, and yet many of them could have been saved. He had found a wonderful improvement n the teeth after the use of the tooth brush became general; Mr. Elkiii also spoke in support of the need of the teeth of the poor re- ' curving attention. t The Minister said lie quite realised the importance of the matter, and thought the. time had arrived ulipii something should be done, more particularly when, the dentists here, as in other places, offered gratuitous services to the poor. As far as lie could influence the Hospital Board, he would try to get attention paid to this matter, but, of course, he had no direct control. The State would bo called upon to find half the cost of such a dental department in connection with any hospital, and ho could not understand how any Hoard could hesitate about making the provision suggested by the- Dental Assoointion, as the amount involved was not a large one wljen services were offered gratuitously. -The Board should not hesitate supplying a rooni and the necessary equipment. He trusted that one' result of the deputation would bo to quicken public opinion, and secure the result at which tile Association aimed.