DENTISTS AND THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 167, 20 August 1914, Page 4

DENTISTS AND THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

To the Editor of THE SUN. Sir,—Apropos of jour paragraph redentists and the Territorials, a little side issue is worthy of the light of day (sun) at this present juncture. In the middle of last winter -the local Dental Association approached the P.M.O. of local forces, Dr E. Anderson, with regard to the appointment of dentists to Territorial troops, having in view "the fact that elsewhere dentists were attached to "both armies and navies. Many 'men suffer agonies of pain which can only be relieved by the weird process of extraction at the hands of medical officers; whereas, probably to save these teeth they only needed a little attention at the hands of the dentist. The net result of our application was a reply from theP.M.O.: "That' the Act'did not" allow such being attached to forces," and he could not move in the matter. Now, had some attempt been .made to bring headquarters to see the possibilities of the establishment of dentists to the line, then the benefits accruing would have prevented the present chaos of men rushing hither and thither to get mouths made sound. A number of dentists could have been called in to attend these men, and I venture tfo say, from what I have seen, a dentist attached to troopships will only,touch the fringe of the trouble by the time he reaches England. Only yesterday a private presented himself and said he had been passed as "good teetli." On examination he v had two extractions and eight fillings needed. A month on beef and biscuits, and how would his digestion be? —I am, etc.,

DENTIST. Christchurch, August 20.