BAD N.Z. TEETH

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 458, 16 June 1937, Page 6

BAD N.Z. TEETH

NOT ENOUGH CARE German Dentist’s View Press Association —Copyright. Christchurch, June 16. When the 1 standard of t-eeth in New Zealand is compared with that of European countries, the Dominion comes a bad second. That is the opinion of Dr. M. L. Landsberg, ,<ai native of Germany, who is now on the staff Of the dental department at the Christchurch hospital. Dr. Landsberg arrived in New Zealand! last December land after spending some months in Wellington Joined the hospital staff at the beginning of April. He ha& made the most of his opportunities to gauge the Dominion’s dental standard and in an interview declared that New Zealand people were far too careless about their teeth. They did not mind spend, ing money on clothes and pleasure, but when it came to expenditure to keep their teeth in order it was a different matter. “Teeth in New Zealand are generally very bad,” Dr. Landsberg declared. “to find all the reasons would be difficult, but one contributory cause is the eating of vast quantities of soft food, so that teeth are not used enough in consequence. There is also the problem cheated by the lack of calcium in what the people eat. “A big Consumption of sweeks, I have found, is another reason why the teeth standard is so poor. The eating of sweets is not sb ba'di if people look after their teeth and clean them carefully, but I’m afraid that a good deal of the trouble comes from eating of sticky sweets which stick to the teeth and are difficult t° remove. Material is left on the teeth and the acid, in it dissolves the enamel which is so precious.” Many people had suggested tto him that the water in New Zealand was a fruitful source of tooth trouble, but thdt factor did not seem very important to him. The Maori people drank the same water and) they had good teeth, except when, they ate the soft food of the pakehas.”