IMPORTANCE OF TEETH

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 87, 21 September 1938, Page 4

IMPORTANCE OF TEETH

PREVENTION OF DECAY BETTER USE *' OF ■ FOODS SCHOOL CLINICS’ WORK Cblonel J. Pi. Saunders, Director of Dental H.xgiene. gave an interesting lecture to tne Wellington Health,.Qi.unj winch was formed to promote health.! living, particularly among children, A child’s teeth, Colonel Saunders said, began to form about se.on aim a half months herore it was bent. Ihe materials lor building them weie supplied ny the mother, and, tiicrcimc, nad to come very largely Iron! the food she took. Colonel Saunders stressed the importance of the diet of tut mother during this period. He sum that it was inclined to be taken as a matter of course that the teeth would decay at ail early age, but were thej justified in believing that children's teeth, and those •of adults as well, were hound to decay? Colonel Saunders said that as a result of a careful examination of 2263 children in various parts of New Zealand whose average age was only five years and six months, it was found that 2218 of these children already had decayed teeth. Only 50 had sound teeth. 3Fany parts of investigation .had proved the vital connection between food and sound teeth. “We all know that unless our teeth are right, we cannot chew our food properly, hut it is not so well known that if our food is not right, our teeth cannot ho right,” said the speaker. Native Race-’ Te:th. Considering the foods of which more should oe taken to promote better teem, and those it won id be better to hare less of, Colonel Saunders said niiicii nad noon learnt by studying vm natire races oi tno wo.Jtl, jiicl.ming the .Maoris, who, while following their age-old customs in regard to what they ate and how they lived, had perfect. teetli; but. who, on coining iiuo contact with the -white man, and adopting his artificial and refined foods, suffered from dental decay.

For guidance in just what should be eaten, and what should be avoided, if adults and children were t<> be healthy and have sound teeth. Colonel Saunuers looked to no less an authority than the League of Nations. He quoted some of the findings of the special international committee of experts set up by the League, outlining what were termed protective foods and the benefits to be dcrivedl from them. By making better use of the foods suggested by the committee he thought it possible that dental decay could eventually be almost entirely preventedThe school dental clinic system was developing rapidly, said Colonel .Saunders, and the T/ellington dental clinic, which for several years had not been able to take new patients, had once more started enrolling children. “The success of the Government’s plans for bringing Up a new; genera-.

tiou of children in New Zealand who- j have good teeth,” he said, “will de 2 j pend to a great extent on the interest | and co-operation of the mothers. It r will mean some thought and effort on their part, but it will bo worth it if j we can raise New Zealand from position of having among the teeth in the world to the best. : "When / we consider the effect on the genera? health, that is something worth striving for.”