N.Z. Dental Scheme Praised

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31628, 14 March 1968, Page 1

N.Z. Dental Scheme Praised

What they have seen so far of New Zealand’s school dental services has impressed two visitors from the Republic of China, Taiwan, who arrived in Christchurch yesterday on a six-week tour of the Dominion.

They are Dr R. P. Chen, assistant in perodontics at the National Defence Medical Centre’s school of dentistry in Taipei, and Dr S. Chen, secretary-general of Taiwan’s Provincial School Health Education Commission. They have a special Interest in New Zealand’s school dental system because in their country a combined

Government, World Health Organisation and U.N.I.C.E.F. project is planned to improve the dental health of primary schoolchildren.

“Initially, we plan to establish 360 dental clinics at selected schools in the centres of certain areas,” said Dr R. Chen. “We knew that New Zealand had advanced knowledge and experience of school dental treatment and health, so we decided to visit this country, and then Australia.

“After seeing your school for dental nurses in Wellington, and the work your nurses are doing, we are quite impressed and have learned a great deal.” The visitors said they could not say at this stage what system of staffing and administration they would adopt for their country, but they agreed

that New Zealand’s training methods and clinical work were impressive, and that the service generally was practical and not extravagant. “Although some of our dentists have visited New Zealand and we had heard something of your scheme, we did not fully understand it,” Dr R Chen said. “No doubt we will later apply our knowledge to our work in Taiwan.” Ultimately the Taiwan scheme would embrace 2,250,000 schoolchildren in 2115 schools, Dr Shen Chen said.

This would, however, probably take about 15 years because, with an extension of the compulsory school-leaving age from 12 years to 15, other educational services, including teachers and accommodation, had to be provided at

a cost of about SUSSOOm. Dental health was only one of many services. Dr R. Chen said a survey of schoolchildren in Taiwan bad showed that of those in the 6-to-12 age group, 77 per cent had caries. This figure was considered far too high, and education on the need for dental health would be carried out by the special training of school health teachers.

Fluoridation of water supplies was a long-term project and, initially, emphasis would be placed on the local application of fluoride compound and the advisability of taking tablets. The visitors will visit Dunedin, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Rotorua, Auckland and Whangarei before leaving for Australia.