DENTAL SCHEME.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 17017, 14 December 1920, Page 3

DENTAL SCHEME.

IVIK T. A. HUNTEE'S EEPLY TO j DE. PICKEKXLL. i We haro bocn requestc-d to ptibliehi ihe following reply by Mr T. A. Hun-! tor, Chief Dental Officer, to Dr. rickerill's latest criticism of tho Government scheme for tho treatment; of school children:— ! I state unequivocally that Dr. Pickerill gavo me his promise that he would support tho Department in the carry-! ing out of the dental scheme. With n> i gard to his statement that his action in J opposing the scheme has been duo to | the fact that tho executive of the New Zealand .Dental Association declined to reopen tho discussion, I ha to io state I that the following telegraphed reply to my enquiry regnrding this point has been received from the secretary of tho executive: "No constitutional request to reopen the discussion has been received. 1 ' in tjje light of this information Dr. Pickerill's attitude, ar.d that of those branches of tho N.Z.D.A., who have used tho Press to condemn the scheme, can only bo. regarded as highly unconstitutional, and a broach of faith ■with the head executive. So faf" from denying that- women with two j oars' training can acquire tho knowledge and manual dexterity necessary for tho efficient treatment oi tho children of tho primer classes of the publio schools, Professor Pickerill agreed in conversation with me that eighteen months would be sufficient, in hia opinion, to train these women for tho service in question. In support of this contention, the following letter, received from Professor Picker ill on September 15th, 1920, conclusively proves not only that he acquiesced in the Government's proposals, but actually contemplated two years' training at the Dental School, Dunedin: — University of Otago, September 16th, 1320. I enclose herewith a" rough draft of -proposed course for dental nursce. "ion will noto perhaps with eurpriso that 'I have put down a course of chip carving and metal work cs a preliminary canter. Something , of this sort is waontial in crd«r to brcaJt :n their fingers and induce Kom-a degree of manual dexterity beforo turning tb?ai on to operative work, and'we cannot of coureo instruct them in mechanical dentistry which usually eerves this pi'.rpose. Tho provision of euch ft course, too, might be useiul i. at any time you wanted to discharge a n-urss-; it could then not bo saiil that sho had been taught absolutely nothing else than ti-ve dentistry. Of course, the possUii.itJ of the rniraes • being trained hore depends upon the provision of adequate accommodation and tho appointment of p.n naelstant to help -with, their training. These, suggestions are of course tentative, and I have not y«t considered time-table difficnltiee, nor baa it been beforo the Council'or the faculty. (Sgci.) 11. P. Picker ill. Thus, the change in his indicated attitude ' apparently dates from the tune when it ,v/as decided that the training of these women would be undertaken bv tho • Department in "Wellington. His assertion that the idea of specialisation without fundamental knowledge is radically wrong, cannot be given serious • consideration, in view of t.u: fact that preference will be given by the Department to applicants who are registered trained nurses. It will bo readily acceded that registered nurses, apart from tho additional training which' they will receive during their two yeara , intensive course already possess a' fundamental knowledge of ivnatomy and physiology, and have; practical experience in various branches of clinical work. , Professor Pickerill is perfectly aware that for tho successful initiation of the scheme it was extremely expedient from the point of view of. tho public interest that clinics bo established in the four centres. Further, although certain facilities exist in the four centres, such are agreed to be quito inadequate to cope with tho enormous-amount M treatment necessary for the children of the larger cities, or the Dominion. Thw. .country children are. not to bo noglectcd; their needs will be supplied through the lise of dental ambulances, a nuniber of which are. already equipped for the purpose. J Tho Department's objections to the employment of graduates of the Dental School only have been previously stated, and I again affirm that Professor Pickerill ia too interested a party for tho public to attach that importance to his i>lea on.-behalf of the children that he has endeavoured to infer. Apart .from the economic wasto of employing four-year- graduates from tho University, ' I unhesitatingly state that a speedier, better, and more sympathetic service will "bo obtained by the employment of specially trained women. Dr. Pickerill states that ho can provide thirty qualifiod dentists sooner than tho Department enn provido ■ twenty two-year dental nurses, but I woulo point out that satisfactory progress in dealing with this problem will demand a far greater nuniber of operators than it will be possible for the dental school ever to provide, especially as the increasing demand for dental service by the adiilt population will t'ax"the' re : sources of ."tho school for .many yearsto come. Professor Pickerill's. reference medical procedure dqring. epidemic? proves that ho has made U^,-. extraordinary error of classing, the .Government scheme as an emergency mo&surc, .when it is surely evident that p.ravisiou.nmst be made tor permanent treatment, and that for tho early control of- tho school dental problem all efforts must be srexpended that , definite nnd benefje-ia' results will bo obtained over nil pupiU in all standards with the least possible delay. Such a desirable result' can j never b*> achieved--.by concentrating on the enormous amount of 'treatment necessary for.thivadvanced pupils. After careful consideration of Professor Pickerill's criticism 1 emphatically state that it ennnot be maintained that the ■ various points ra iscd by him have in. any way affected .tho futtire*successful .operation of the Department's scheme. ..■_-. . .'■ (PRESS ASSOCIATION' •TELEGRAM.) ■NELSON,'December 13. The Nelson branch of the Xcw Zealand Dental Association has mously passed a resolution in favour of tho Department's scheme, of dental treatment of-school children. ' TO TEE EDITOB OF "THE I'EESS. :, , j Sir,—ln your issue of Saturday a | communication quotes Mr Ihividson, a j Dunedin. schoolmaster, Y.s laying that at a "sparsely" attended meeting of the Educational Institute a resolution was carried condemning tho present Government scheme for the dentsl treatment of school children. Mr Davidson admits j he was not present. I should like- your roadere to know that, contrary* to the above statement-, the meeting tves -wel' attended, the largo lecture room r.t the Technical College bcinw full of teachers —men and women. .Every detail of the Government proposal was put bfcforo tho meeting in as unbiased a lr.annr-r «s possible—and the meeting unanimous!" condemned it. It is not improbable that, if Mr Davidson had been present, he would have supporter) his colleagues. ' For the' principle of the Government employing unqualified, instead of qualified people, when the latter nr"e equally available, is one which no Kehoolmsster can afford to support. Once introduce this retrograde principle into one State service, and where is it going to stop? Would Mr Davidson suggest for one moment that, although fujlv ■qualified teachers may be desirable for private schools, for flio 'Si'nto schools partially qualified young women, with an "intensive" course "cf 1? months' training, would be fiuite enough? "What <3nes be think the effect would be on the rising gener.°t. - Vn? —Yo"re. e'o.. H. P PTCKERTLL. Temuka, Decenibe ,, 15th. !