THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, APRIL 4, 1910. THE CHILDREN'S TEETH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10009, 4 April 1910, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, APRIL 4, 1910. THE CHILDREN'S TEETH.

In these days of education both mental and physical, and especially in a • country like New Zealand that takes no small pride in its educational systems, it is surprising that greater care is not paid to the welfare of the children's teeth. The effect of good teeth upo" general nealth cannot be over-estimated. Mens sana in corpore sano-a healthy mind in a healthy body—that is almost the secret of happiness at school and after school, and it may be said that the possibility of acquiring that degree of bodily health contemplated in the saying quoted is, in many cases, quite impossible without the aid of good teeth. The forgoing remarks have been prompted by the receipt of a cable message from Londoon to the effect that the dentists of Preston offered to attend to all children's teeth at the rate of fourpence per i Head per annum, but the Town

Council refused the offer. No reason is given for the refusal, but although the charge mentioned suggests that the dentists of Preston are a philanthropic body of men, it is not likely that the Town Council would have been seized with any qualms of conscience had it decided that it was worth while to accept the offer. Apparently it considered that the question raised by the offer was of no importance, and in this respect we fear it voiced the opinion, ! albeit unexpressed, of many parents, j Modern dentistry has reached an amazing pitch of perfection, and it is regretable that these who are really most entitled to the benefits that the dental profession can confer should not receive them. The teeth of the race are not on the_up grade, and hence it is all the more important that they should receive proper attention, and be preserved as much as possible, until, perhaps, means are found to counteract the causes that appear to be rapidly bringing about a genera! deteriora- | tion in teeth. W<s have said that the I teeth of a very large number of child-

ren are neglected, and we do not fear contradiction. Sometimes it is the carelessness of parents that is jesponsible, sometimes ignorance, and, again, dentists do not work for nothing, and some parents, however willing they may be, cannot afford the expense of having their children's teeth properly attended to. It seems a little carious that when so many of the children's wants are supplied by our paternal Government, that adequate provision for enabling the children to have their teeth properly attended to should he lacking. If a system were introduced by which 3 every child whose teeth required attention could secure the necessary treatment at a very small cost —we expect that it would be more than fourpence per head per annum —it •. would benefit the child greatly both * in, school days and after. The ques--1 tion of proper attention being given ~ to children's teeth is one that school corcmittees and education boards ' could oeriously consider with advantage.