SAVE THE TEETH

Levin Daily Chronicle, 8 October 1918, Page 4

SAVE THE TEETH

I : —♦ - ' [ THREE POINTS OF VIEW. DENTISTS, -HEALTH ; MINISTER, AND HOSPITAL BOARD CONFER. (Manawatu Times.) The Hon. Q. W. Bussell, Minister for Public Health, attended a meeting of tihie Hospital Board last week at which the local dentists were also, largely represented, when the vexed question of dental treatment for children was thoroughly discussed. The chairman, Sjr James Wilson, said that the general feeling of the Board was that something should be done for the children's teeth, but whether it was a matter of local concern, or one for the Dominion as a whole had to be decided. It was a question of National importance and perhaps the Government would undertake it. The Minister: "It is a matter of money." - Tie chairman, continuing, said that the health of the child, and afterwards the adult, depended greatly upon' the condition of the teeth, and apparently New Zealand, for some reason, was not so fortunate as other countries, as disease of the teeth was very prevalent. The question of establishing a children's clinic had already been considered, but the Board 1 thought it should be considered on national lines. T>ho Hon. Bussell stated that it waß a serious question. The proportion of men rejected as unlit on account of trouble arising from defective teeth was very large, although we lived in a young country with the best food in the world, and a healthy environment. He gave an instance of a Wellington school in which 800 children were den* : tally examined, and two were found ' with perfectly sound teeth. This was not an isolated case, similar conditions prevailed throughout the country. It was time something was done, and he was glad of the opportunity to confer and see what could be done to improve conditions in the future. A sum had been placed on the estimates, and he had decided to subsidise, by £3 to £1 work in this department, but the sum allocated was not a large one, and the question of expenditure had to be considered. DENTAL SHORTAGE. . The Minister went on to state that owing to the shortage of dentists due to war conditions, it was impossible to appoint a special dentist at each hospi"tal. To meet this shortage, the Government were going to establish dental bursaries in order to assist. In the meantime, he suggested that local dentists should work in conjunction with the hospital. If the dentists would do the work in their own surgeries at a fixed rate of fees, it would be a beginning at least, and although not , & scheme to reach all the children, it would at least benefit some. The work should be free to children > whose parents were in receipt of £4 a week and under. "I do not wish to interfere with the ordinary dental emoluments, but to provide dental treatment for I children who would otherwise not receive it, the work being confined to ■ simple necessary work and not more elaborate dentures and falae teeth. I consider if a fee of 4s per child were charged it would be a fair thing," said Mr Bussell. (Smiles from the dentists.) In this way the dentists at Foxton, Levin, Feilding and other towns in the Board's district would be on. the same footing as Palmerston. Mr Nash said the crux of the whole thing was the question of charge, and I whether the work was to be done at i the surgery or at tie hospital. Dr Whitaker said he hoped that a negative answer from the dentists would not mean that the whole proposition would be dropped. Mr Hornblow stated that the idea was to make the hospital a complete institution, embracing every department. He pointed out that if fre_e treatment was given only at the hospital, country children who could not pay for treatment could not pay the train fares into, town. He was of opinion that to have the scheme effective, it must be made compulsory. It was no use having dental inspection, if compulsory treatment did not follow. Mr Russell said that Nationalisation of the work -was urged; there were also people who urged nationalisation of hospitals. If they thought it would reduce the cost they were mistaken. The Government would simply strike a special rate to cover the cost, and they would not get the subsidy which now came from the Consolidated Fund." He did not favour taking responsibilities from hospitals boards, they did better work when they had full responsibility for expenditure of money loft in their own hands. He emphatically did not favour nationalisation of dental treatment. Ttiey must begin in a small way at first. If he went to the Government with a scheme for making it a penal offence for parents to_ neglect dental treatment, the whole thing would be lost. Dr Whitaker suggested that it would be better to start out on right lines at first, as it was hard to rectify a defective system when it was once started. They were prepared to grasp anything that would mean a cessation of disease in teeth. THE DENTISTS SPEAK. Mr Harman said the dentists had definitely considered the question and came to the conclusion that it would be better for the Board to appoint a dentist at the hospital. He could be provided with a travelling outfit, and all the country towns in the Board's district could avail themselves of his services. Tta treat them at the town surgeries would be most unsatisfactory. They were aware of the fearful condition of children's teeth in this country, and felt sure that if a dentist was appointed at the hospital, his time would be fully employed. DEFENCE METHODS 1 AGAIN. 1 Mr Williams said that the payment j of a fee, as suggested by Mr Russell, was never a satisfactory working scheme. He instanced the Department and treatment of soldier's teeth. At the outbreak of war, soldiers were treated on a similar basis, and representations were made to the Department that it would be better to employ their own dentists in camp, a system eventually adopted. Ho gave a concrete example of the working of the old scheme, which still applied to returned soldiers. A soldier came to him with his chart marked for three fillings. The man was a cot case, and in hospital for some time, and when he presented himself for treatment there were eight fillings required, but the Department adhered to the original chart signed by the dentist on board the boat on which the soldier returned and would accept no further responsibility. So he had to do the work at his own expense. Dr. Pope stated there was no great shortage of dentists here, and a good man could be obtained for about £400 a year. MINISTER POINTS A PISTOL; Hon. Mr Russell: "It seems quite clear to me that no assistance can be got from the local dentists. I don't know if you represent the opinion of the whole Dental Association, but I must work out some other scheme. I will have to go into the matter with my officers, and- perhaps the Government may establish a State schem% of dentists throughout New Zealand, trained at their own dental school, who will regulate the dental fees."

Mr Hornblow asked the Minister if he would not grant tliem the £3 to £1 subsidy and allow them to do the work in their own way, paying dentists their proper fee, but he did not favour this idea at all. THE ACID OF EXPEDIENCE. Mr Williams said the dentists had been guided by the told of past ex-

perience, and after mature reflection had come to tlieir decision. The Minister said he was sorry that the Defence Department had been brought into the question, and it was the wrong time to introduce the subject, but he was sure his colleague, the Minister of Defence, would put his Department right in the somewhat serious charge brought against it by one dentist. / QUACKS. j Mr Harman said their minimum charge for a permanent filling was 7b Gd and for a temporary one ss, and it was a loss to tfiem to. work below that. The Minister said he had seen plenty of advertisements of cheaper dentistry being carried out. "Quacks," remarked one dentist, but the Minister said only registered men could practice, so they could hardly be called quacks. Mr Harman, replying to Mr Nash, said that they would rather see a dentist appointed to do the work, apart from the question of the low fee offered. Uhe Minister considered the travelling outfit for a dentist would be very expensive, a sort of motor ambulance would be required. Mr Stockwell pointed out that he conducted a travelling practice in connection with his firm for many years, but it was not expensive, as they went by train. Mr Bramwell: "Will you establish one here as an experiment and see how it works?" Mr Russell: "If I made the experiment anywhere I would .like to-make it in a town that was not so well supplied with dentists." As no definite agreement could be arrived at, the Minister said he would go into the matter with his officers, and see if it was practicable to ■ appoint a dentist at the hospital, to travel the country quacks, or what scheme they could devise to'meet the needs of the people.