DENTAL ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14409, 17 July 1912, Page 9

DENTAL ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING

(PBKSS ASSOCIATION* TELEGRAM.)

WELLINGTON, July Iβ. Tbe annual general meeting of 'the New Zealand Dental Association, was begun to-day at Victoria College. Mr J. N. Rishworth (president) occupied the chair. . There were between eeventy and eighty delegates present from nil parts of the Dominion.

In his opening address the President said there was no doubt that caries of tho teeth -sras now so universal, and until lately the treatment hsd been so unsatisfactory, and in many instances tho dentist was himself very halfhearted jn his efforts to save teeth, tnat it was small wonder that the public been mo careless, and felt that th* loss of their teeth was unavoidable. It was for tho dental practitioner to prove that it was now no longer necessary to loso a single tooth if duo and proper care was exorcised. The acuta I loss or a tooth was not in itsdf so important, but it was tho gradual decay contmuing, with all its attendant evils. untii the tooth was finally lost, which hud such a detrimental cifeet upon the constitution of tho patient. That was tlin position which parents altogether failed to appreciate. Last month the stipendiary dentist attached to the Dental Hospital in Auckland, together with a member of the honorary dental staff, made an inspection of the teeth of tho children at a public school ia Auckland. They found that out of 190 children examined 05.5 had one or more decayed teeth. Only thirteen had ever visited a dentist, and only ten ever cleaned their teoth, and the condition of somo of the mouths was appalling in the extreme. A large number of tiiese children already had their constitutions permanently undermined by tho conditions due to neglect of their teeth. What was true of that school -was nnfortunately more or less characteristic of every school in New Zealand. In dental matters New Zealand was very far behind older countries. Dental hospitals were so easily equipped and managed that it shculd be possible to establish ono in every centro of 5000 inhabitants. The cost of maintaining it would be trifling compared with tho good results which would accrue. A dental inspection of school children would be of littlo use (except that it would focus public attention on the deplorabio condition of the teeth) unless we had some practical means of helping those people who were unablo to pay There was plenty of scopo for bequests for tho establishment of dental hospitals, which institutions would be ot untold value to tho community, nnd no; more deserving object could be selected for generosity. Tho President said ho was glnd to note that the Execntivo was talcing steps to publish ft treatise upon tho caro and diet necossary for the better conservation of the tooth. Roughly speaking, there was £500.000 spent 'annually in New Zealand by peonle who in some measure at-, totjclod to their teeth. About half thnt nmmint would bo saved if people only heeded the advice of their dentists and attended at regular intervals, say every three or sis months, for an examination. - The conference will continue until Friday. On Thursday eveuinc there will be nn entertainment at which tho Prime Minister (tho Hon. W. F. MWoy) and other members of the Ministry are expected to be present.