NEW TREATMENT FOR TEETH

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25902, 7 September 1949, Page 4

NEW TREATMENT FOR TEETH

■ —♦ — Whole School Service To Use Fluorine CHECKING DENTAL DECAY (New Zealand Press Association.) WELLINGTON, September 6. Fluorine treatment of teeth to prevent decay would be introduced throughout the school dental service, said the Minister of Health (Miss M. B. Howard) to-day. She said a study of the effect of fluorine under New Zealand conditions had been made by the dental division of the Department of Health, and treated teeth showed 36 per cent, less new dental decay after a year than did the untreated teeth, which served as a “control.” Miss Howard said the United States Government was so concerned at the high rate of dental decay that it was spending 1,000,000 dollars to have fluorine treatment adopted throughout the United States. If this relatively simple treatment proved even half as effective in New Zealand as it had in America it would still represent the biggest advance made in this country in the fight against dental decay. This form of treatment, which had been developed in the United States, had been found there to reduce dental decay in children by 40 per cent. It was a simple, safe treatment. It would be introduced as soon as the school dental service staff was familiar with the technique. Arrangements were now being made. Miss Howard said the introduction of fluorine treatment would not do away with the need for personal hygiene and the avoidance of foodstuffs known to produce dental decay. Fluorine - would help to give better results, but must not be counted on io replace these personal efforts to master dental decay.