DENTAL CLINIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 November 1940, Page 4

DENTAL CLINIC

MEETING OF MASTERTON COMMITTEE CRITICISM OF PARENTAL APATHY. APPEAL for care of health OF CHILDREN. Mr E. G. Coddington presided at a meeting of the Masterton Dental Clinic Committee. There were also present: Mesdames W. James and J. G. Dagg, Messrs Haybittie, Robinson, Gibbs, Allan Shaw, Chamberlain, McDonald and French. Accounts amounting to £2O 15s Id were passed for payment when funds were available.

t The hon. secretary (Mr J. G. Mac- ■ I'arlane) presented a report regarding clinic affairs and after a discussion it was decided to write to the various school committees enlisting their support in an effort to awaken the interest of parents and also to obtain 100 per cent attendance of those pupils eligible for treatment. From figures supplied regarding infant attendance alone, among the schools in the clinic area, it was agreed that there was tremendous room for improvement. What definitely should be remembered by parents was that each child was entitled to the opportunity of receiving dental treatment in the earliest stages of its school life. It has been proved time and time again / that after the initial attendance of a ' child, subsequent appointments become more routine and the first stages of a healthy mouth are laid. No excuse any parent can offer is acceptable, it is urged for denying the child this vital and necessary care. On the financial side, for which the committee is also responsible, it is one of the most difficult things to understand why so many parents flatly refuse to face up to the small subscription that is asked from them partly to meet expenses. The Dental Clinic for many years has dragged along, giving a service which is unfortunately not recognised as it should be by the public, and its financial position has always been unsatisfactory. Hundreds of pounds have been written off by the Trust Lands Trust and hundreds more have had to be written off owing to the attitude of parents. The subscription levied amounts to a donation only from parents and none surely would contend that it represented full payment for the service given. What the committee aims at is to induce all parents, firstly to see that their children receive early and regular dental treatment and secondly take the responsibility of seeing that their subscription is forwarded, preferably when the child attends the clinic for treatment.