OF INTEREST TO DENTISTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 464, 10 July 1909, Page 4

OF INTEREST TO DENTISTS.

Two cases'of interest to dentists were heard before Mr W. G. K. Kemick, S.M., recently at Tapanui. Under the Dentists Act of 1908 it is provided that in the case of an association carrying on the practice of dentistry, the names of the dentists forming such an association shall be legibly and conspicuously affixed outside their business premises. The defendant, John O’Neil, was proceeded against on the ground c£ having exhibited the caird of the Otago and Southland Painless Dental Company, in which this proviso was not observed, he being at the time flot registered under the Act. He pleaded guilty, and on his behalf it was put forward by Mr Millar that after the local constable had drawn defendant’s attention to the omission the name was put up. The Magistrate said that it was very necessary that the law should fc« complied with, so that the public might know with whom they were dealing, and he convicted the defendant and fined him £3 and costs (;£1 rßs)- O’Neil was also proceeded against for having unlawfully performed a dental operation —extracting certain teeth —he not being a qualified dentist. Defendant admitted having extracted the teeth, but said that he had not charged a fee for it. and therefore came under the exemptions provided for in the Act—namely, that a person who merely extracted teeth did not require to be registered. It was, however, proved that in addition to the extracting of teeth, a drug was used for the purpose of injection into the gums. The magistrate held that this was a dental operation within the meaning of the Act, and convicted defendant, fining him £3 and costs (£2 12s).