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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 183, 20 December 1912, Page 8

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'< SHOCKING STORY ' The state the some the Aucklg^^^^^^^^^| mittee. The report conducted jDental Association .Board, of the children city schools has just been total number of children ! were examined was 1857, 'five to fifteen years. These dbesyed permanent teeth, as 3858 which needed simple fillings |H •tare them a healthy and l natural qoH idition; 1965 needed complex fillings AJ\3p treatment of the dental pUlp aid root oaaala, and 1818 were hopelessly decayed, though possibly some of these could. 1 'be saved, but in the meantime they were a real source of danger to health. Of children between the ages of seven to*i •thirteen years, only 80 children, or 4% per cent., had no decay in their permanent teeth. As an indication of the rapid: progress of decay when unchecked, it) may he noted that between the ages of seven to ten years there were 02 children i •with no decay in permanent teeth, whilf 'Between the ages of 10 to 13 years therq ' 'were only 18 children with sound teethij | 'A rery regrettaWe feature of the exam-it 'i'nations, continues the report, was aii-j almost total lack of effort on the part' | lof the parents to have their children's J Iteeth preserved, as only 50 of the 1857"( .children examined had any fillings done |in their mouths at all. Most of the | Icftildren had never been taught to use ] !a tooth brush, ,and their mouths were, i in most cases, in a shockingly unhealthy condition. In cases where the bfush" had been used' systematically, the percentage of decayed teeth was, consider- • ably less. As a result of the examina* j tions so far over 100 children have been presented for treatment at the Dental: Hospital. *