Dentistry "’ldeal Field For Women”

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31763, 21 August 1968, Page 2

Dentistry "’ldeal Field For Women”

Operative dentistry—restoring broken and decaying teeth—is the speciality of Miss I. Zemaitis, who at the age of 22 is a full-time tutor at Sydney University.

She is something of a novelty at the New Zealand Dental Association conference being held at Ham because of her youth. The tall, attractive brunette entered university at 16, graduated last year, and decided to remain in the academic field.

Being a woman, and a contemporary of or junior to many of her students has not posed many problems for Miss Zemaitis. “Everyone accepted me quite readily. Even the older students got used to me,” she said yesterday. About five girls in a class of 60 dental students graduate from Sydney University each year. Miss Zemaitis considers her career ideal for a girl, and that lack of knowledge about it is the reason for so few entering the field. Not a “full-time career girl” she plans to keep In touch with her profession when she marries by working part-time and later return full-time. As well as lecturing, Miss Zemaitis can obtain .in almost unlimited number of patients with which to work. New Materials “Now there is a much greater awareness of the advantages of operative dentistry, or conservative dentistry as you call it here. Materials, including new synthetics, and techniques have improved,” she said. Although the treatment was expensive it was more satisfactory than partial dentures, she said. It was used mostly in cases of sports injuries, accidents or decay. One of the chief advantages was that the tooth was permanent In some cases partial dentures were necesasry, and the number of teeth which could be restored together was limited. The public awareness of the treatment’s possibilities depended largely on dentists. “If the dentist takes time to explain to the patient what can be done he realises that this is obviously better,” she said. Dentists were being encour-

aged to do this work in their surgeries. The basics were taught during the five-year dental course and the many available post - graduate courses were well attended. Sydney's water supply was fluoridated in May. The department of preventive dentistry had strongly urged the scheme but Sydneysiders were still undecided.

“The arguments still go on and of course as soon as the fluoride was put In people said the water was different," said Miss Zemaitis. The fluoride did not smell, taste or colour the water.