CHILDREN'S TEETH

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18182, 19 September 1924, Page 11

CHILDREN'S TEETH

CLIMIC FOR WOOLSTON. A campaign i; to bo carried out at Woolston with a view to raising fund." to establish a clinic for the treatment of the teeth of school children, and l"ist a. t-jlk ou the subject of care ot tho teeth was given to a meeting of householders by Mr C. P. Tripe. Schools Dental Officer. Tho meeting; was held in tho Woolston school, ilr 1). Rowse, chairman of the School Committee, presiding over a fair attendance. Tho clinic"!s io be housed at. tbo school, alterations to which will Le carriod out- ior iho purpose. Mr Tripe said it was a mistake to pity a, youngster who was going to soo the dentist. Tf a. child had been suffering from toothache for some time, how could ir. bo a. subject for sympathy when it was going to be- relieved of pain:' With regard to the setting up of n dental clinic at Woolston, he wished householders to understand that such a clinic would, in addition to W oolston, also servo adjoining fieboojh. Mr Tripe produced a form on which was marked the state of every tooth in the child's head. Ho stated that this form was given to til© child's parents, who were allowed: to Bay whether or not they desired treatment for tha youngster. Ho wished it to bo understood, however, that unless parents, consented to treatment before the child left tho primer classes it could not bo given afterwards. In such a caso tho child would need to bo treated by an outside dentist. If parents were not prepared to consent to 3 child undergoing extractions or fillings, they should.- not overlook the fact that there was no halfway house. If there wei'i) nineteen sound teeth in a child's mojjth and one was septic, that tooth would liave to come out. Dental decay was preventable; it was merely a matter of training. If parents went on the right lines, a child would not develop bad habits. Xat-uro covered the teeth with tho hardest substance known to mankind—enamei, which was oven harder than steel—and this being the case, it followed that teeth were not. meant, to be used on soft foods, which represented n mistake madb too often. Ho advised the use of« wholemeal bread and hard foods, and condemned sweetmeats. He spoko strongly against the use of teething powders, the mercury in which, he said, attacked tho enamel, through which it soon worked its way and set up decay. Heurged that all children should' wash their teeth at least three times a day, and that they should use as a dentrifice nothing but salt. He urged that attention should be given to proper mastication, mastication being tho first of the live processes of digestion. and the only one which could be controlled by the will. Mr Tripe gave instance* of children whose health and mental ability had been affected by bad teeth, and who, on having them attended to, had shown a marked improvement. At tbo conclusion of his address Mr Tripe answered a number of questions, and was accorded a vote of thanks...