DENTAL HEALTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 220, 17 September 1930, Page 19

DENTAL HEALTH.

MISSION OF THE PROFESSION CONTINUOUS WAS AGAINST DISEASE. DENTISTS IN GOXFEBENCE. (By Telegraph.—Ottd Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday.

That tie wlo-le of a dentist's practising! life was a eontinuons var against an iiLcorable disease was etated to-dav by Mr. W. J. Bright, in Ms presidential address at tie annual conference of tie New Zealand Dental Asaotiatkm. Hie Dtunber of practising flentists iad increased tenfold irithin the last 50 years, said Mr. Bright, yet tie ravages of dental disease "were more widespread to-day than ever before. If t then, tie profession was to fulfil its mission as guardians of tie -naiio-n'a dental iealti, it must endeavour more and more to aim at prevention. "If we can but get tie people to" realise," said Mr. Bright, "that what would bring about a condition of immunity to dental disease would ako give them freedom from susceptibility to more deadly diseases, then possibly tiey would take more ieed of our warnings. Tie dentist may remove tie diseased teeth or replace tie lost portions with artificial materials, but he only alleviates. Tie remedy lieg in correcting tie fault wiiet is tie basis of the trouble. "I do not imply by the foregoing tiai treatment and removal of diseased teeth does no good. On tie contrary, the. retention of diseased teeii brings about a vicious circle, which further deranges the systematic condition, and tie dentist, by hie .treatment, does much to improve tie patient's iealti. Nevertheless, he only treats tie effect, and does not remove tie cause. lam afraid tie people are being lulled into a false sense of security, if, so long as tiey can receive dental treatment, wietier from the State or by paying for private treatment, they are fed to believe that all is well, whereas in reality prevention must come from tie homes. It cannot come from the dental sorgeriee. "It is time the public wag plainly toM that tie cause of its dental disease and ail tie attendant evils, wiici accompany it lies at its own door. Tie responsibility cannot "be put upon the dentist. Although the last word on prevention of dental disease has not been written. investigators within tie last few years have shown quite plainly that tie incidence of tie disease can be substantially reduced, and, in many cases, entirely eliminated. ' fo lt has been shown that tie incidence of dental caries in any country increases in direct ratio to tie increase in sugar consumption, yet the Increase of sugar consumption per head of population in Great Britain rose from 9.91b in ISSS to 75.91b in 1920, and is still rising. The most recent nation to realise this truth is Japan. 3 Mr. Bright then spoke of the importance of a well-balanced diet on tie conservation of iealti and the preservation of tie teeth. He said perfect bodily health implied a healthy mouth.