A DENTAL SCHEME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1978, 17 May 1919, Page 4

A DENTAL SCHEME.

FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN. A VALUABLE SUGGESTION. (Levin Chronicle.) A scheme for the dental treatment of school children was submitted to the Levin District High School Committee at Tuesday evening’s meeting by Mr D. S. Mackenzie, of Levin. In addition to his scheme, Air Mackenzie’s remarks generally wore of considerable interest, the principal point being that preservation of tiro teeth in the child by proper care and attention was better than any kind of treatment applied too late. The speaker was introduced bv the Chairman of the Committee (Mr Thomson), who said the care of children’s teeth was a subject that was causing some concern at the present time. PRESERVATION OF THE TEETH. Mr Mackenzie s'aid : There is need for some form of regular treatment that will have for its object the preservation of onr children's permanent teeth. This problem is so large and difficult to deal with in a systematic manner that one can only hope to accomplish a little at a time so that the disteaso may ho kept in check as much as possible. The saving of children’s first teeth is a very desirable thing also and 1 trust that a little later on we may ho able to deal with the disease systematically at this period of childhood. But as the saving of our permanent teeth comes before anything else in dentistry it is my intention to confine my efforts to this one thing until it is rewarded with some measure of success—for if wo fail here we. fail right along the line. The demand is therefore tor a campaign of prevention that all too forcibly suggests itself. This matter lias become one of such -seriousness am! of such magnitude that any reasonable treatment for its prevention and elimination calls for greater support. It is especially necessary just now (having in mind what the world has recently lost in human beings) that we should all do what lies in our power to make the most of those now growing up. It is partly my privilege to be in a position perhaps to help this rebuilding of the world, in a very small degree along this coast. It is in thi.4 spirit that I desire to lay before you a system that will, I believe, materially help to save the permanent teeth of the rising generation, making them to that extent better men and women. I do not .seek any emcliiment and will undertake to train men or women to carry out the work for which a fee would have to bo made, the treatment to bo self-supporting.. Approximately £SOO will bo required to commence operations for one year. Briefly I will state the plan intended to be adopted. The object of the scrvict primarily is the -saving of the permanent tooth. We must therefore take the small patient in hand at the time when thesb teeth first make their appearance and that is at -six years of age, or when they are usually in the •First Standard. Now at this ago develops four of the most important teeth that ide possess. They erupt at the back of the mouth in such a position that they not only perform a great function in respect to the mastication of our food, but they nisi> perform the function, as it were, of an usher, showing all the succeeding teeth a.s they erupt to their respective places. Important as these teeth are for purposes of j mastication they arc of very much grej -ater value- as ushers and if these teeth j are lost and this is the great point—the ! point that should stimulate us to ae- , tkm— ■the knowledge that if they are j lost before that child ’reaches 1 12 then j that child will never have its tooth in correct alignment and will therefore never have a fair chance of masticating its food thoroughly. But keep these teeth hy hook or by crook until the- child is 12 years old, that is until an age when all the teeth -except the wisdom tcetli are erupted, and the child will at least have correct articulation. ■lt is then, you- will cjWorvc, that -wo intend to confine our attention to the child, from (j to 12 years, or one might say, right through their public school career.

Having in mi ml always that prevention is our watch word we must take i-sucli steps a.s lie in our power to promote it. Now all decay of teeth starts from the outside, from a little tiny specie that quickly develops ami eats its way in through the enamel all d it neglected, destroys tho tooth, with all its accompanying pain. Now this tiny •speck originates through particles of tend becoming lodged on or between onr teeth and through subsequent decomposition producing tbe agents that- bring about their ultimate destruction, but it we take care to dean onr teeth night and morning wo rtmiove many of these particles and it consequently gives the teeth a much bettor chance of escaping decay. •Now, in order lo combat these ravages constant watchfulness followed by treatment- when necessary, i.s, 1 believe, the only .way to deal ivitli this problem. We intend to commence with Standard: I : wo may be able to take 'Standard II as well. This will be undertaken tho first year. An inspection will be made of children of those parents desirous of treatment at least throe times a year, to be followed by such service as is necessary for the conservation of their permanent health. Next year thes'a children will have moved up a grade, but they will still bo kept under observation as when in Standard 1, ami so on right through their school career. But to bo successful we must start with them at Standard 1. It it is possible to take Standards I and It to commence with, it would mean then that the whole .school would be in hand in -five years.

| To show you how very serious indeed | of 10 in -respect to these teeth, 1 would j of 10 in respect to these tteth, I would I point out that 85 per cent of our teiij year-old children have to-day either lest those teeth -entirely or they are so far ! gone as to be entirely beyond saving, j I am hopeful that with the inangura- [ tion of the form of treatment briefly outlined that in a .short space- of time 85 per cent of our ten-year-rtld children : will have those teeth doing {rood work. I As yoiii are well aware thb Department • ‘have 11 rad (inspectors examining the children’s tectli lately but if this is not | to be followed by treatment where is I the benefit derived. You will notice I mentioned; that decay was kept away largely by cleansing the teeth. ILe-t it .therefore be the" children's duty to the dentist to take all reasonable care to clean their teeth. Let it be the teachers’ duty to the dentist to see that the children IX) clean their teeth. And it will he in the sam'e ratio the dentist’s duty to the children to take all reasonable care to save their teeth. FINANCING THE SCHEME, Mr Thomson asked how the inspection would be carried out and the probable cost to the parents. Air -Mackenzie said, some person .specially trained would come round to sec the state in which the children’s teeth were. A chart would bo k'ept and every child’s name would he entered and if anything was required it would be reported m the book. A dentist would follow and do the work required. The cost would be about £1 per year per child. Mr Mackenzie estimated the cost of the scheme at £SOO per year fur the district between Paraparaumu and Shannon—a dentist at £3OO a year and incidental expenses, £2OO. Tiiat would require 500 children at £1 each. Mr Thomson asked if the scheme would be confined, to Standard I. Mr Mackenzie said by working that way it would allow of more uniform work being done. Every year fresh children would come in, while those who went te Standard IT would continue under observation. Air Short said the ages vailed in Standard I and Air Mclntyre said that was so. The average age for Standard I was about seven years. Air Mackenzie said that if that

so it would he necess'ary to go hack a class, or taka Standard I and classes below that. The great point was to get tho children in early stages of the development of their teeth. Six years was a good age. In reply to another question Mr Mackenzie f.uid one, dentist could attend to the children whom they would expect to treat provided they were kept in hand and were not allowed to get beyond him. Air Roe said Air Mackenzie's address (Was a good on‘e and his scheme a valuable one to the whole district. They all know that the young people, of today very rarely had good teeth, with the result that their health was more or less affected. At the present time wo ■had niedjcal inspection ;at the .schools. Physical defects were pointed out. but the scheme- went no further, and the majority of parents did not trouble to have the children attended to and others wore not in a position to do so. Ho believed there was' a scheme for tho treatment of children at the Palmerston hospital for adenoids, tonsils, etc., but parents could not always take their children there. Air Cork said tho scheme of inspection at the schools had done a lot of good, but apathy was shown hy parent,s. Mr Mackenzie- said he thought parents would take more interest if there was a small -financial liability on thorn such as the present dental scheme would entail. Air Broome suggested communicating (with’-other schools in order to find out what number of children would requite) treatment.

Air Alackenzie said the -children would fie inspected at their own schools, but the cont.resi for treatment would be. Waikanaie. Otaki, Levin and Shannon, the smaller centres being taken in at either one of these four places, 'lo launch tho scheme it would be necessary to guarantee 500 children at- £1 each for the first year. It was suggested that mill-yearly payments might be made and Air Alackoiizio said that could certainly ho arranged. He added that he was in communication. with Waikanac and a largo number of parents had arranged to meet him there. Air Cork moved a very hearty vote of thanks to Mr Alackenzie- for his valuable -address, and tor the scheme ho had submitted. They all knew the vuhic of good teeth, and the necessity that existed for preserving the teeth of tho children. The committee shonnl pledge itself to do all in its power to assist the scheme. 'The; -motion was seomuHd tej ,Alr Short, who said everything should be done to interest the parents as their co-operation was essential. Air Alackenzie, in acknowledging the rote, said he intended interviewing the committees in other portions ot the district and would inform the Levin eommitte of the result.