CARE OF CHILDREN’S TEETH

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1921, Page 3

CARE OF CHILDREN’S TEETH

GREAT NEED OF TO-DAY. In his presidential address at the fourth Australian Dental Congress Mr. E. J. Counter, of South Australia, said one of the greatest needs at the present time was the proper care of the teeth of children. Only when the legion of diseases, physical and mental, associated with defective teeth was borne in mind could they realise the appalling significance of the fact that over 90 per cent, of school children of the leading nations suffered from decayed teeth. All State Governments in Australia, however. were realising the imperative necessity of caring for the teeth of school children, where inspection was not always enough; and the State must, where necessary, secure by larger staffs of dental officers the treatment which in necessitous eases sufferers could not provide for themselves. The cost would be saved many times over by the reduction in the number of patients treated in public hospitals for diseases arising from bad teeth. In recent years an attempt had been made in connection with the National Dental Association of Australia to bring the ethical dental societies under a constitution similar to the British Medical Association; but, unfortunately, the effort had so far proved abortive. He hoped before next congress took place they would have all dental societies united in one strong professional body working for one end only—the uplifting of dental science.