DENTAL DISEASE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 195, 31 May 1938, Page 3

DENTAL DISEASE.

NATIONAL TEST PLANNED. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 30. The object of the nutritional test for the control of dental disease, which it is proposed to carry out at the Mount Cook School, Wellington, was explained by the Minister for Health (the Hon. P. Fraser) this evening. He denied that the Smith Family was embarking on a nutritional experiment in one of the public schools on its own initiative and without expert guidance, and said that the proposal to make a test emanated from the New Zealand Dental Association. The Smith Family had offered to co-operate by providing meals for the selected children. The meals, however, would be arranged under expert guidance and there would be no question of “experimenting” on the children to the detriment of their health.

The proposal, said Air Fraser, was to endeavour to carry out under local conditions what had already been done successfully for groups of children in other countries, namely, to arrest the progress of dental disease hv nibains of what is considered suitable diet. If it could be shown that this could be achieved in New Zealand. the test would he worth while. Mr Eraser added that he had asked that, the dental sub-oommite of the Medical Research Council should overlook arrangements, and consider the findings, and he understood that the New Zealand Dental Association had readily agred to co-operate.