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No. 25. New Zealand, No. 210. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 3rd October, 1924. With reference to your despatch, No. 139, of the 23rd July, J. have the honour to inform you that my Ministers advise me that the dental treatment of school-children in New Zealand is performed by the Division of Dental Hygiene, a special division of the Health Department constituted under the Health Act of 1920, consisting of a Director and a staff of dental surgeons and dental nurses. 2. With regard to the extent to which the dental nurses are employed under the New Zealand scheme, the staff at present consists of ten fully qualified dental surgeons and twenty-three dental nurses, together with thirty-eight probationer dental nurses (first- and second-year students) undergoing training. Though the scheme is at present in its initial stage, about half of the total operations performed to date are the work of the dental nurses, and as the service is built up to cope with the ever-increasing demand the major portion of the treatment will be performed by them. 3. The training which the nurses are required to undergo covers a two-years special course, including intensive training in a science course arranged by the Department's officers as fundamentally suitable for the work they will have to perform. Copies of the first- and second-year syllabi are attached. Preparatory to commencing operative treatment they are given work to perform on natural teeth set up in dummies, enabling them to acquire the necessary dexterity in the use of the dental engine, mouth-mirror, and other instruments, and to undertake preventive treatment of children of pre-school age —that is, from two and a half to five years. This includes the treatment of superficial defects with silver nitrate.. When their manual dexterity is assured the nurses are allowed to assist in simple operations, and the training then proceeds to a knowledge of the filling of cavities and the extraction of teeth. No cases of root-filling in permanent teeth are undertaken. 4. A thorough grounding on diet, as a means of prevention of dental disease, forms part of the training, and as during the course of their work they will be given every opportunity to talk with mothers, both at the surgery and whilst visitingschools, they are able to assist very materially the Department's propaganda work. 5. The work of the nurses in the field is limited to the treatment and filling of deciduous teeth, fillings in permanent teeth where the pulp is not involved, and extractions of deciduous teeth and first permanent molars. 6. Their training is such that after they have left the Training School continuous personal supervision by a qualified dentist is unnecessary, but, of course, visits of inspection are made regularly, and by the Department's system of charting,, treatment performed can be traced to any officer at any time. 7. The particulars given above answer briefly the questions asked in your despatch, but further general information on the matter is contained in the attached statement by the Director of the Division of Dental Hygiene. I have, &c., JELLTCOE, The Right Hon. J. H. Thomas, M.P., Governor-General. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

No. 26. New Zealand, No. 223. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 7th October, 1924. With reference to your despatch, Dominions No. 385, of the 15th August,, relative to air communications, I have the honour to inform you that my Ministers advise me that they concur in the proposed procedure for the exchange of information, and arrangements will be made to place it into effect forthwith. 2. Ministers appreciate the fact that the British Government is prepared to enable this Dominion to benefit by its experience of air photography for purposes of air survey. I have, &c., JELLTCOE, The Right Hon. J. H. Thomas, M.P., Governor-General. Secretary of State for the Colonies.

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