SCHOOL DENTAL CLINICS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4940, 17 February 1926, Page 3

SCHOOL DENTAL CLINICS.

FACILITIES AND MAINTENANCE. THE TREATMENT GIVEN. (No. 2.) Clinics will be established in centres, approved by the department, provided the required facilities with regal'd to accommodation, etc., are forthcoming. The locaj people are expected to provide and maintain a room suitable for a surgery and fitted with water, gas or electricity, and certain furniture, but the, department will tsupply all purely dental equipment. Where it is necessary fbr\ the dental officer to visit an outlying school for the purpose of treating the children, all .transport expenses, excluding railway fares and railage, if any, must be borne by the school sp visited ; and wher e the visit is of less, than one week’si duration from accommodation must be provided. If several schools. a.re visited on one trip the expenses may be apportioned by mutual arrangement.

In making the provision of these fcilities—an indispensable condition to the establishment of dental clinics —the department wishes it to be clearly understood that it is only with local assistance of this nature that the service can be extended and maintained. While the expense involved in the establishment and maintenance of each surgery may hot appear to be very considerable, if the department, were called upon to bear the whole of the expense in each case the total amount involved would be enormous. The amount voted each year by the Government towards the dental service is limited, and if this ha.d to be devoted to .the fitting up, etc., of suitable accommodation the extension of the scheme would be seriously curtailed. It is therefore only equitable that thope who are to receive the immediate benefits of the service should contribute in some measure towards the expense involved. SCOPE OF TREATMENT. Treatment in the first instance is, at present-, restricted to children in the primer classes attending State schools and to children under school age. Children once registered Kw treatment will remain under dental observation, and will continue to receive dental treatment as far as possible throughout the standards until they pass out of .the school. NATURE OF TREATMENT. The treatment given includes the filling and extracting of both temporary and permanent teeth, and other minor conservtive treatment. The methods, being as far as possible preventive, parents are requested to bring children to .the clinic at an early age, pay, .from 2% years,, in order that they may be\ kept under dental observation and any necessary preventive treatment given. Advice is .also given upon the diet and the dietetic habits, necessaiy to ensure the physiological cleanliness, of the mouth. The dental officers are thoroughly trained in this preventive aspect of the work, and modern authorities are all agreed that a proper and natural diet and sound habits, of living play an extremely important part in the prevention of dental. dipease and the many other ills arising therefrom. Parents are assured that if tjhey will follow out the advice given, this, will result in a-great improvement in the dental and physical health, of their children, and will reduce the amount of treatment required. ADMINISTRATION. The dentist is an officer of, and under the control of the department, to whom he is responsible for the efficient carrying out of the work of the clinic. He is| exepcted to cooperate with the committee, teachers, and parents as far as passible. Matr ters such as eligibility of children for treatment, the nature of treatment to be given, the method of. working to be followed, etc., are, of course, definitely laid down by the department in accordance with its general policy, but questions such as the rptar tion in which schools are to be treated, etc., are largely decided upon on the advice of the dentisti and the local committee. The advice of the committee on matters of this, nature is extremely valuable to the department, and suggestions ajre always welcomed. Having assumed financial responsibility, it is considered only equitable that they should have] a voice in deciding the prder in which schools are to be treated, so that .those schools, which have contributed towards, the upkeep of the surgery shall, wherever possible, receive priority.

It is only with the whole-hearted co-operation and assistance of the committee and local people that the service can really be successful. Should any point or doubt arise, this should be referred by the dentist to the department.