HEALTHY MOUTHS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 202, 15 November 1927, Page 11

HEALTHY MOUTHS

STATE’S DENTAL SERVICE IN SCHOOLS PARENTAL NEGLECT REGRETTED I Press Association. WELLINGTON, To-day. Replying to a deputation which requested the establishment of a school dental clinic at Petone, the Minister of Health said that, as a dentist, he knew the value of healthy mouths in children. If he were governed by his own feelings alone he would grant the request, but in the primary schools of the Dominion there were over 200,000 children, and the school dental service had some 60 nurses and operators in the field ministering to the needs of 35,000 to 36,000 children. The problem was to find service for others. The country was only now waking up to the real value of the school dental clinics. Last year 20 new nurses became available, and he had had to keep faith with the promises of his predecessors. He had placed the whole problem before Cabinet. It cost money to train nurses for two years, and no other country gave anything like as good service as New Zealand. A new problem was confronting the department. While dental clinics were putting the mouths' cf children into good order, work was being very greatly increased by the fact that, owing to the neglect of parents to instil discipline of correct dietetic habits, and regular cleansing of mouths, into their children, many went back to the clinics. For that reason it was impossible, in some centres where there was only one nurse to 1,000 children, to keep up with the work. When a child’s mouth was put in order it was not a fair thing for the parents to neglect it. The department was combating the position by special effort, through the school nurses, of propaganda in mouth hygiene. If this failed, the department would take up the attitude that once a child’s mouth was put in order it was the duty of parents to keep it so. The Government had been very liberal in providing money for school dental service last year. The number of nurses had been increased from 20 'to 30. This year the number in trainling was 35, and he hoped to get the i number increased year by year. The [training school had a capacity of 35, and by having it in Wellington they 'were able to do a greater amount of | work. He had at least 200 applications in for the clinics.