Dental nurses graduate

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33158, 23 February 1973, Page 5

Dental nurses graduate

The success of the School Dental Service had been demonstrated by its steady growth, the reduction of dental disease and the number of students and observers the service attracted from overseas, Mr R. K. Logan said in Christchurch yesterday.

Mr Logan, director of the Division of Dental Health in the Health Department in Wellington, was speaking at I the Christchurch School for Dental Nurses’ graduation I ceremony. “The service has had 52 :years of experience and has: brought about a great im-! provement in the dental; health of New Zealand children,” he said. “Among public health i workers abroad, the service; stands out as an example of what can be achieved. We have had in this country students and observers from all around the globe.”

Already, students from Pacific and Asian countries were receiving their training in New Zealand and this year a number of students from Australia would begin the two-year course.

In his opening remarks at the ceremony, the principal of the Christchurch school (Dr R. B. Nevin) said it was particularly pleasing to see in the graduating class, two students from Vietnam.

“This is representative of the continuing aid given by New Zealand in this field — most of which has gone without spectacular publicity.” Students were also being taken from the Seychelle Islands.

The guest speaker at the ceremony was the principal of the Christchurch Technical Institute, Mr C. V. Gallagher. Success had been proved by the growth of the dental service since its inception to four million operations on the mouth in clinics up to 1972, he said. Medallions and certificates ; were presented to the 59 graduates by Mr Gallagher. The ; divisional director’s medallist, the nurse who best exempli-

/fies those qualities considered | essential in a good dental i nurse, was Nurse Judith i Greer. The second special prize I winner, winner of the Canter- ‘ bury branch of the New Zea-1 : land Dental Association prize, i I was Nurse Nicola Hoban.