CHILDREN’S TEETH

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 968, 10 May 1930, Page 6

CHILDREN’S TEETH

WORK OF DENTAL CLINICS PROGRESS OF MT. ROSKILL TJp to last December school children of New Zealand had had 80,000 teeth extracted, 200,000 fillings had been done and 120,000 operations of various kinds had been performed. These figures were given yesterday by the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, when he officially opened the Mount Roskill School Dental Clinic yesterday afternoon. The Minister estimated that the parents of Mount Roskill would save at least £I,OOO in the first year’s dental treatment of their children, while the latter would benefit by a larger measure of good health in after life. It was the original intention of the department to make the Mount Roskill clinic a sub-base, but after having seen the sizo of the district and its capacity for expansion, he had authorised the establishment of a main base where a second nurse would be appointed as soon as the demand for additional service arose. The rapid growth of the department was shown by the fact that at present the staff consisted of eight dental officers, 126 nurses in charge and 78 in training. There were 107 main treatment centres, and 59 sub-bases. SOCIAL SERVICE He held that the dental staff was performing one of the most useful of the social services of the State. Mr. Stallworthy paid a tribute to the work of the headmaster, Mr. F. A. Garry, whose particular outlook on life generally marked him out as being naturally fitted for the work of bLiilding up the character of his pupils, and providing them with an artistic and serviceable school environment. Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P. for Manukau, plluding to the rapid growth of the Mount Roskill district, quoted figures to show that in proportion to the population it headed the list in the number of new buildings erected during the past few years. He congratulated Mr. Garry on the fine appearance of the assembled scholars and the school grounds, but drew attention to the thousands of children in the Dominion who found it difficult to get enough to eat. Unemployment, he said, had increased from 2,796 registrations «i April, 1929, to 3,328 registrations m April, 1930, and the number of children rind other dependents of unemployed men had mounted up to 5,000. Mr. C. G. Munns, M.P. for Roskill. told how Mr. Stallworthy had shown his personal interest in the district by authorising the establishment of a main base clinic before he had a nurse available to take charge of it. Mr. Munns also expressed the hope that the time was not far distant when the powers of school committees would be extended, not only to the choosing of their own teachers, but in many other directions. Mrs. N. Benfell, chairman of the school committee, extended a cordial welcome to the large gathering of parents and other visitors, at the same time tracing the history of the movement which had culminated in the official opening of the new building, which was then declared duly accomplished by the Minister of Health.