DENTAL CARIES

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1930, Page 3

DENTAL CARIES

INCURABLE DISEASES. WELLINGTON, September 17. If any improvement is to be brought about in the dental health of the people of New Zealand it must be by more preventive work. This was the keynote of the presidential address given by Air W. J. Bright at the opening of the Conference of the New Zealand Dental Association yesterday. "The whole of a dentist’s practising life is a continuous war against an incurable disease,” said the president, the fact that dental caries is incurable The dentist may, certainly, more or less successfully arrest the progress of the disease, and with different materials build up the cavities which the disease lias brought about; hut for the restoration of lost tooth substance Nature has made no provision. We must admit that up to the present this continuous war the dentist has been waging is a losing one. The number of practising dentists has increased tenfold within the last fifty years, yet the ravages of dental disease are more widespread to-day than ever before. If, then, this profession is to fulfil its mission as guardian of the nation’s dental health, it must endeavour more and more to aim at prevention. That which cannot lie cured must be—not endured—hut prevented. "I am afraid the people are being lulled into a false sense of security. So long as they can receive dental treatment, whether from the State or by paying for private treatment, they are led to believe that ail is well; wnereas, in reality, prevention must come from the homes. It cannot come from the dental surgeries. It is time the public was plainly told that the cause of dental disease, and all the attendant evils which accompany it, lies at its own door. The responsibility cannot be be put upon the dentist.” EDUCATION OF YOUNG. Every farmer knew that to gel good results with his animals he must feed them on a properly balanced ration, which was best supplied in whole grains as oats, barley, wheat, etc., said the president. He would not expect to take three parts of the elements from these grains and still grow healthy animals. Then, why should lie expect anything hut disaster if he allowed his children’s cereal foods to be robbed of many of their essential elements? There were those who claimed that the food habits of the people could not be changed, but with this he did not .agree. Sir Trilby King made drastic changes in feedirig babies, with what wonderful results was now known the world over Tt was by education of the young generation that they, might expect, to achieve, results. ;• '' .. ' „ ..

"Thht 'utopiari state, uvhefi teeth deeny hp-more, will riot come in. our day,” said Air Bright. "I trust we, lire doing what we can to hasten .it along. In the.Jpantime there Is much goojjlj work} to be done by the members of tlnsf profession in dealing with the'Conditions as thfey exist to-day. We can justly claim that, inasmuch as wc alleviate: pain-'and suffering, ours is a work of service to our feljowmen. What higher aim can man attain than conquest over human pain?”