DENTAL CLINIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 December 1940, Page 7

DENTAL CLINIC

MEETING OF MASTERTON COMMITTEE CHILDREN RECEIVING TREATMENT. APPOINTMENT OF THIRD NURSE. Mr E. G. Coddington presided at the monthly meeting of the Masterton Dental Conic, held last evening, when there were also present: Mesdames J. G. Dagg and W. James, Messrs Long, Laing, Gibbs, Chamberlain, Allan and Shaw. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs Haybittie, Robinson and French. Accounts amounting to £1 16s 4d were passed. The question of appointing temporarily a third nurse was the subject of a letter from the Department and it was agreed that the appointment be made early in the New Year and the Department advised accordingly. A report from the nurses showed that there was a total of 2,167 children attending the schools within the clinic area. Of these numbers 1,090 were receiving treatment as at November 30. During the month the nurses had examined 179 children, carried out 679 fillings and made 72 extractions. The attendance of children at the clinic was 352. As showing the tremendous amount of dental decay among infant children, it was pointed but that from 22 new entrants only 3 children had perfect teeth. However, a pleasing feature of the report was that consent forms handed in by parents were steadily increasing in number. Another point of interest to parents which should be carefully kept in mind is the fact that when appointments cannot be kept owing to sickness or severe weather conditions, it is only necessary to get in touch with the nurses and arrange for another appointment. In connection with the evacuation of British children it was decided, on the representations of the Department that free dental service be extended to these children. Appreciation of the w'ay in which parents were sending in their subscriptions was expressed but an appeal is made that as many as possible should endeavour to subscribe the small amount of 5s before the close of the school year. The next meeting of the committee will be held on Tuesday, February 4. 1941.