DENTAL CARIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 68, 17 September 1936, Page 4

DENTAL CARIES

A NATIONAL SCOURGE

DISEASE OF .CIVILISATION

. ' :;: ;' "i Dental caries, which is a'disease of "civilisation," was referred to by Sir George Newman (formerly Chief Medical Officer of tne Board of Education^ and the Ministry of Health) as one of the "greatest diseases of modern times." He was speaking at the meeting of the British Dental Association, which is being attended by 700 delegates from all parts of the Empire and the Irish Free State. ■•■.;■;. Sir, George pleaded earnestly for more preventive dental medicine. Dental decay, he'said, was a disease local,, insidious, and unnoticeable in its first occurrence. An apparently insignificant malady, it grew slowly over the years, ' and in the end it might undermine the health of the whole body. It' might often prove harmless, or it might, by general result, kill the patient. The causes were an unsound dietary, heredity, infection, general, ill health, and lack of dental supervision. Expectant and nursing mothers and little children in particular, not infrequently lacked a sufficient and suitable mixed diet, well balanced. We suffered as a people from this almost universal dis-. ease, which was liable to bring in its' train much suffering and incapacity. "The morbidity and mortality directly or indirectly associated with childbirth and with dental disease," added Sir George, "are in large degree preventable. It is high, time that 'the nation, as well as the dental.professiony ■' accepted the situation with which :■ it is i faced, the need for more-penetrative . medicine.". . : .' ' \ '.'■, ;-■■■ .. FIVE LINES OF ACTION. Sir George suggested five, lines; of action: Proper nutrition in motherhood '. and infancy; throughout life a suitable , and sound nutrition, which included fresh air, exercise, rest,: and normal ; functioning in order to assimilate food; daily cleansing, of, the -teeth; , better public facilities. fqr dental | supervision; the dental education of the [ people. ..''■."'. • • : The school medical service was in- ', complete, he said. Upwards of 1,500,000 | school children were uninspected for dental caries in. the year, and; of those [ inspected and requiring treatment, only 63 per cent.. actually: received . treat- ! ment." Secondly, in 1334, 2,500,000 teeth were extracted, but only 1,000,000 were ! filled. Thirdly, when the child left j. school, if passed outside dental super- . vision. ■".•''•■■ '■'' . , • ■ ■■■ ', , Sir Kihgsley Wood' said everyone i knew that many forms of \ill .health t -were caused by or aggravated by deni t'al disease. Although the loss of time, i and efficiency' due to dental defects could riot be calculated, the economic i loss so caused, if it could'be stated in '■■■ terms of money, would certainly;; be : .startling. : "Bad health and economic \ 'loss are not the only results," added ■ Sir Kingsley. "He is a iucky man-who : does not know thediscomfort and pain i that come from bad teeth,1 and what a common and potent cause they are of i irritation and friction with one's r friends and colleagues.". ■; ■