WAY TO HEALTH

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 114, 17 May 1927, Page 10

WAY TO HEALTH

IMPORTANCE _0F DIET

N PART PLAYED BY TEETH

NEED FOR PROPAGANDA-

In our attempt to. fulfil the ideals of. the dental profession, a duty wMch hasheen assigned to us as our life's work, there is a weight of responsibility to civilisation and the well-being of humanity which we -would do well at times to consider. t . . . I In those words, the president, of the | New Zealand Dental Association (Mr. 6. Lawrence Taylor) introduced his presidential address to delegates to the annual conference to-day. "The scourge of dental disease that has confronted us during this genera tion presents a problem that was never anticipated by our forefathers, and it has gradually assumed such dimensions among civilised races that it is now recognised the commonest, aud if neglected, one of the most harmful and destructive diseases in our mitlst," said Mr. Taylor. "The interest of the medical profession has been roused by the appalling number of cases of gen-eral-disorders that are proved to be caused by .dental disease, and the responsibility I 'certainly rests with the dental profession not only to provide a,cure for dental disease, but to strike right to the foundation of the problem and give a lead in the science of prevention.

"In dealing with this subject it might be well if I attempted to give a general «review of the work and the different lines of thought pursued by members of the profession during the past,twenty-five years,' the period during which dentistry has made such rapid strides. Until about the year 1900 we find that the general public was very apathetic about the necessity of dental treatment, and a visit to the dentist was beset with many trials and tribulations that are not-endured to-day. The general practitioner- did a certain amount of conservative work, but in the average practice 80 per cent, of the treatment consisted of extraction and the fitting of artificial dentures. This i was partly because people refrained from visiting the dentist. until the teeth were hopelessly diseased, and it was quite the fashion, particularly among the fairer sex, to prefer the ap]pearance of a row of pearly white artificial teeth to what Nature had endowed them with." . IMPORTANCE OF DIET. Mr. Taylor dealt in detail with the advances made in the science of denItistry, and referred to the importance of suitable diet. ' "With the diet at present in use among the more civilised races it is essential that children should be taught thatthe proper cleansing of the teeth and surrounding tissues after each meal is necessary," said Mr. Taylor, "but what we should emphatically impress on the people is that they should adopt a correct diet, taking classified foods in proper sequence at a meal; then the teeth will be kept clean in the natural way, and that this is the main secret in..preventiou of dental'disease. .Time will not permit me ! to go into details on forms of diot, but the point I wish to stress is that nothing like sufficient publicity is given to the importance of knowledge on dietetics. We, as members of the dental profession, know that the present fashion of diet is wrong, and is the direct cause of much disease. Many members of the medical profession endeavour at times individually to impress this on tho public, but what we need is some definite concerted ■ action that will make people realise tho seriousness of the position. I should like to see a small committee appointed from this association to bring boforo the Government tlfe necessity of moro propaganda on tho subject of diet. The newspapers should bo induced to tako the matter up in a prominent way, and the subject of "dietetics" should be taught iv every school. SLOWLY BUT SURELY. "Undoubtedly tho chango would come slowly, as any attempt to alter people's habits of life, particularly in the matter of diet, would bo treated in a jocular and apathetic manner by many; but if propaganda were continually before tho public in tho form of authoritative statements as to what was right and the dangerous and illeffects of what was wrong in dietetics, public opinion would be roused and would gradually bring about tho dosired change. It is no use denouncing the miller who makes refined white •flouT, the baker who bakes white bread, or the confectioner who sells such a variety of enticing sweets. They are all in business simply to- supply what there is a demand for. W6 must educate the public to know what form of manufactured foods are good for the system, and then the merchant would soon supply them. If we could only teach people to take fewer meals and to oat the different classes of food in correct sequence, finishing every meal with raw fruit or something that will leave the mouth clean and stimulate the flow of saliva, wo should have done something very useful without causing any drastic restrictions. Then the curtailment of the more harmful forms of diet would havo to come gradually."