Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1918. COMPULSORY DENTAL TREATMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1835, 4 June 1918, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1918. COMPULSORY DENTAL TREATMENT.

AT the last meeting of the Palmerston N. District Hospital and Charitable Aid Board —not “the Palmerston Hospital Board,” as some are wont to term it—a resolution was carried unanimously urging upon the Mntser of Public Health and Minister for Education the necessity for bringing down legislation to make compulsory the dental treatment of children of school age, with free treatment to children whose.parents are not in receipt of more than £4 per week. It was pointed out by the mover of the resolution that children were medically examined at schools and parents were notified of physical defects, but in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred there the matter ended. The Board decided to establish a dental clinic at the hospital for treatment of children of indigent parents, but this, while assisting to thoroughly equip the institution, would only benefit children of Palmerston at the expense of the whole hospital district. The Government is prepared to subsidise the Board, to the extent of 75 per cent, on an average cost of 4s per child, and has set aside £2OO for this purpose. But this is only fooling with the subject. The scheme, to be a success, must be nationalised and made compulsory, and if the Dental Association will not come to terms, the Government must provide -State

dentists to carry out the work. Speaking at New Plymouth last week on tips subject, the Minister for Public Health is reported to have said; “The chief requirement was a centrally-situated place, so that people coming in from country districts would have ready access.” But who is going to pay the fares of children of indigent parents ? The children should be treated in each school centre. The Minister said: “It was a' fact that half the men examined for military service had been declared unfit, and he gave it as his opinion that the state of their health was the result of unhealthy dentals in early life. He thought, however, that the children of the well-to-do people should not be able to qualify for free dental treatment, and considered that people earning over £4 per week should be able to pay for the treatment that such clinics provide. He did not suggest that free clinics should undertake what might be called high-class dentistry, but considered exractions, stoppings, and fillings should be the aim of the clinics. He was of opinion that if that was done the cost would not exceed more than an average of 4s per child. Every child who produced a certificate from a head schoolmaster, a medical inspector, or a qualified medical practitioner, should be entitled to fx;ec treatment. He made no distinction between the children of State or private schools. In reference to providing dentists for such work, he hoped that arrangements might be made with local dentists to carry on the work. If not, then the' Government would arrange with the Otago Dental School to have men ti’ained. They would give bursaxies to students who, on completing their course, would be requix’ed to go into the Public Service for two or three yeax’s at a remuneration to be ax-ranged by the State. That was being done with x-egard to medical students, who would become officers of the Public Health Department for a period of two or three years. It is good to know that the Minister is sympathetic, but unless the care of the teeth is made compulsory, the ills that’ follow neglect will continue.