OUR BABIES.
ADDRESSES OF PLUNKET NURSES AND SECRETARIES. Weliinton,— Plunket Nurse Morgan; assistant, Nurse Mackintosh. Society's Room, 86 Vivian street. Tei. 2425. Hon. Sec., Mrs McVicar, 27 Brougham street. City. Tel. 2642. Auckland. Plunket Nurses Chappell and Morgan. Tel. 851. Office of the Society, 2 Chancery street. Tel. 829. Office hours, Tuesdays and Fridays, 2.30 to 4 p.m. Hon. Sei., Mrs W. H. Parkes, Marinoto, Symonds street. Tel. 240. Napier. Plunket Nurse Donald, Mrine Parade. Hon. Sec., Mrs Hector Smith. Hastings. —Plunket Nurse Purcell. Office of the Society at Mr Bate s Pharmacy. Hon. Sec , Mrs T. W. Lewis. Tel. 255. Dannevirke. Plunket Nurse Wright. Hon. Sec., Mrs Bickford, Bank of New Zealand. Society's Baby Hospital, Karitane Harris Hosp'tal, Anderson's Bay, Dunedin. Tel. 1985. Matron, Miss Uampbell. The Matron has begun a systematic course of talks to mothers and others, to be continued every Wednesday afternoon between 2.30 and 3.30. At these talks the Matron will be giad to answer questions. All interested are invited to attend. DECAYED TEETH. The following inquiry was received a short time ago from a country township. As the care of our children's teeth is a matter of the first importance. we feel sure that "Inquirer's" letter and Dr Pickerill's reply will be read with great interest:— "Dear Hygeia.— I wiah to ask your advice about a little girl's teeth. She is nearly six, and some of her lower molars are badly decayed, two being mere shells. Should these decayed teath be extracted? We might have had this done, but were told her permanent teeth would then come through prematurely and would not therefore be so durable. In her upper jaw her second teeth are very irregular, the two front ones being very broad but those adjoining quite small.—l am, etc.—lnquirer." This question was submitted to the leading authority in the Dominion — namely, Dr Pickerell, Professor of Dentistry at the Otago University who, as our honorary dental surgeon, has always given avery encouragement and assistance to the Society. The following is his reply • DR PICKERILL'S REPLY. "I am always very glad to be of any use to you and your work. As regards the questions you ask, it is very difficult to lay down any hard-and-fast rules. It all depends upon whether sensis is present or not, and whether the latter is amenable to treatment. But in all cases of carious deciduous teeth something must faa_ done. It must not be allowed —as iB often the case —to slide. Tne teeth should be filled if possible, and if not they should be extracted. Two or thres years of septic absorption may far outweigh in evil effects any deformity which may result from 100 early extraction. "I am having typed extracts on the subject from my latest book on "Stomatology," which explain the position, I think; if not, lease let me know."" EXTRACTS FROM "STOMATOLOGY." The necessity of children masticating food which requires the exeicise of some force should be pointed out, and if necessary suitable diets arranged for particular cases. Great care should be taken of the deciduous teeth, that these do not become so diseased as to necessitate their extraction before the right age. Should thev, however, become hopelesslyseptic, they must be extracted, since the risk of septic absorption for perhaps, a year or two far outweighs the evil effect of crowding the permanent teeth. Deciduous teeth retained beyond the normal age should be extracted if there is any sign of the presence of the permanent tooth—usually to be detected as a bulging of the bone upon palpation immediately below the deciduous tooth. Sometimes a difficulty may arise in deciduous or permanent one. This may be determined by drawing a fine-pointed probe over the termination of the enamel at the cervix. In deciduous teeth it terminates in a distinct ridge; in permanent teeth its termination is not noticeable. A deciduous tooth should not, however, be extracted if possible before the age at which its permanent successor should erupt, and it should not be allowed to remain much after this period without due reason. It is therefore eminently necessary to remember the numbers which represent the ages at which the respective deciduous teath should be lost physiologically
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King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 597, 27 August 1913, Page 7
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702OUR BABIES. King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 597, 27 August 1913, Page 7
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