CHILDREN’S TEETH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2126, 8 July 1907, Page 3

CHILDREN’S TEETH.

Press Association. DUNEDIN, last night. Since the inauguration of the Otago Odontological Society its members have endeavored to educate the general public to realise liow important mouth cleanliness is to general health. This Society received permission from the Education Department to examine the mouths of 1250 school children. Examinations proved the mouths to be in a most deplorable condition. Hardly a mouth examined was free from abscessed teeth and inflammation of the gums. Out of 1250 mouths 380 presented irregularities of teeth, some simple, others of a marked character. These irregularities are clue in a great number of cases to premature extraction of deciduous or milk teeth. Whenever a milk tooth is removed before the time allotted to it by nature for its natural loss it stands to reason that the underlying permanent tooth is retarded in its eruption by the formation of a very dense tissue, which lias to be punctured b- the erupting permanent tooth, which results in deviation of the tooth from its correct position. It must be a general rule for colonial" children to have teeth extracted when decay sets in and pain results, for out of 1250 children 702 had one or more teeth missing. Ninety per cent, of these teeth could and should have been saved. Taking 24 as the average number of teeth in each child’s mouth,: they would have in all 30,000 teeth, all of which were carefully examined, and in that number the examiners only came across 480 fillings, proving that parents do not desire to have their children’s teeth saved by condroation work. The above figures do not signify that the tcc-th were in such good condition that fillings were not required. Such was not the case. The examiners came across 6178 teeth decayed, all of which could have been filled when attended to in early stages of decay. Tho dentists-examining these children endeavored to find out- the percentage of those who used a tooth brush, but the answers could not be relied upon, for the mouths of some who professed to use a brush were in a most shocking state. Some 502 children willingly admitted never having used a toothbrush, and tlie examiners, think that the number could bo almost doubled. One youth whose mouth was in a terrible state of filth when asked if ho used a tooth brush said “Yes,” and in reply as to how often answered “Every Saturday after I have swept tlio hack yard.” Whether tlio same brush was used for both purposes was never discovered. A pretty little girl, one of a large familv, had not cleaned her *- e eili lately as her sister had lost the only toothbrush they had in tlie house. Out of 1250 children only 25 bad months free from decay.