CHILDREN'S TEETH

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 43, 19 February 1918, Page 8

CHILDREN'S TEETH

AN IMPORTANT PROPOSAL

Important innovations, in respect to the treatment of children's teeth in the Palmerston North district were foreshadowed by the Minister of Public Health'(Hon. G. W. Eussell) to a deputation from the Palmerst'on : North Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday afternoon. Sir James Wilson said that the Medical Superintendent (Dr. Whitaker) had suggested to the board the esfablislunent of an out-patients dental clinic, where the teeth of school children could be dealt with.

Dr. Whitaker, who was present with the deputation, said the board had agreed to the" proposal,sl but in carrying out the idea they had met with more, trouble than was anticipated. Mr. J. K. Hornblow (Foxton) said that Dr. Whitaker had seemed to favour the idea of establishing a dental clinic at the hospital. That was quite all right, as far as Palmerston North was concerned, but it' wduld not meet the needs of the children in the outlying districts, such as Foxton, Levin, Feilding, Shannon, etc. His. own idea was that when the medical inspectors of schools examined the children, they should be able to give the children needing treatment a ticket which would entitle each child (providing its parents were not earning more than a certain wage) to free treatment by a local dentist. That dentist would render his account to the Hospital Board, which would, of course, arrange a uniform scale of fees throughout the district. Mr. Hornblow empha.sised the point that at present the medical inspectors of schools simply point out defects, but nothing was done to follow up their reports. The Minister said he agreed that, while a dental clinic at Palmerston North "was useful in the town itself, it would not meet the needs of the people in the outlying districts. He had formed the opinion that the teeth- of the children ought to be treated for an average charge of 4s per child. In saying that he was referring to extractions, stoppings, and work of that kind—not to dentures. In his opinion, married people with an income of only £i n. week or less required assistance in these matters in bringing up families. Of course, the business of dentists .would not be affected by any innovation of that' kind, because in practically all cases the work they did would not otherwise be done at all. He thought the board should approach tlie dentists and arrange a uniform scale of fees throughout the district. He lead a special vote on the Estimates dealing with dental conditions, and out of that he was prepared to allot the sum. of £200 to the Palmerston North hospital district, to be given as a subsidy of £1 for every 10s spent'by the board. That would enable the board, he pointed out, to treat at least 1000 children.