DENTAL CLINICS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 121, 6 May 1936, Page 6

DENTAL CLINICS

No Extension of Present Service REASONS OUTLINE! The Parkvale School Committee decided last night to ask the Hastings School Dental Clinic Committee to urge the extension of the school dental service, so that scholars may be treated right through their primary school period. Both Mr Graham McCormick, chairman of the Dental Clinic Committee, and Mr bred Cray, chairman of the Napier Dental Committee, said thia morning that in view of what the Minister of Health said a short while ago, any representations would be futile. Both chairmen gave what they considered very good reasons for their opinion. The committee of the Parkvale School also decided to press for having this essential service made available to children whose parents could not afford to pay the requisite fee. In this connection both Mr McCormick and Mr Cray said that thia was already done. Where indigent parents made representations to have their children given free dental treatment, and the local Dental Clinic Committee was satisfied as to the bona fide* of their cases, children up to the fourth standard were given free treatment. Mr McCormick said the Division of Dental Hygiene in the Public Health Department had made it clear that while they were sympathetic towards the movement to have the system extended, so as to care for the teeth of primary scholars right through their primary school period, there was neither the finance nor the number of trainees available. There were, moreover, technical reasons why children over the fourth-standard period should receive treatment at tbe hands of professional dentists. He did not think that the Department of Health at this juncture would agree to such an extension, largely because of a shortage of trainees. If any extensions were approved, the department probably would move in tho direction of establishing clinics in the country districts, which at present in some cases were not well served. Mr Cray said the subject was not a new one, and the Napier Schools Dental Clinic Committee had made repeated representations to the previous Government on this point “We have accommodation and work for four nurses in Napier,” he added, “but can get only two. I think that it would be merely a waste of time to place the matter before the notice of the Minister of Health. “Some months ago the Napier committee asked tho Minister, the Hon. Peter Fraser, whether his department would bo able to grant such an extension, but he replied that the previous Government had reduced the number of trainees, and for some time at least the position could not be reviewed.” He said that the Minister wax very sympathetic, and would have liked to be able to say “Yes” to the submission made to him, but unfortunately it was impossible, largely because it required about two years in which to train nurses for the clinics, and because the number of trainees was decreased. "Till the Government has had time to clear up the more pressing business in front of it, I’m afraid it would be a waste of time referring it to them,’’ ha concluded.