STATEMENT BY HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

Otaki Mail, 17 February 1922, Page 4

STATEMENT BY HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

( TREATMENT OF CHILDREN'S j TEETH. As there would appear io be a diversity of opinion among a section of practising dentists, and apparently on :tppalling amount of iguorance on the part of parents on the above subject. I the Health Department has issued {lie following circular to its officers. The t circular has been endorsed by the exei cutive of the New Zealand Dental As- . sociation: — The following principles should guide all medical and dental officers in advising parents with regard to the treatment oi deciduous or first teeth;--(a) It is highly important that every effort should be made to prevent these teeth from decaying, for the following <1) When the body is growing it is necessary that the masticatory apparatus should be in its most efficient state. (2) The presence of decaying and suppurating teeth in the mouth at that period of a child's life must have its maximum evil effects. (b) It is highly important that, in the event of decay having begun in these teeth, an effort should be made by i:;:- j mediate treatment to check it in its j earliest stages, as neglect of the first , signs of decay leads to infection and death of the pulp, and the necessity fin extraction. (c) It is highly important, for the health of the child, that all temporary teeth in which the pulps have been infected or are dead, and cannot with some degree of certainly be rendered healthy, should be extracted, despite the fact that extraction of such teeth

I may reduce to some extent the masticatory efficiency, and may lead to overcrowding of the permanent teeth. Officers cannot impress too strongly upon parents, in spite of any opinions expressed to the contrary, that the deciduous teeth are relatively more important to be kept in a state of efficiency' and f free from disease than the permanent ! teeth, the necessity for care of which is never denied. Offieerfi should use every means at their .command to dispel fc the- baneful idea held by many parents. f and fostered by some dentists, thai the I premature extraction of badly-decayed t deciduous teeth* is not in the best infterests of the'child, and also the falilaey that it is necessary and natural that the first teeth should -decay, in or-' j der to give place to their SBceesKors. j It must be made clear that the replace- ( meat of the deciduous teeth is a physio- ( logical process, and not a pathological one. , - . I