SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4989, 18 June 1926, Page 4

SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE

EFFICIENCY IMPAIRED.

OBJECTION TO CENTRALISATION-

A difficulty has arisen in connection with the school dental, scheme on the Hauraki Plains, and the indications are that unless a solution is arrived at in the near future the service may be discontinued. The department has notified the committees of the schools not yet treated that the dental surgeon is now available at the Ngatea clinic, and some of the committees have advised that the children will not be sent to Ngatea. It thus appears, that in the future the dental surgeon will not be kept tully employed, and with requests from all pa,rts of the Dominion for the establishment of dental clinics it is. reasonable to suppose that the department will not long continue to maintain a service that is not appreciated. The difficulties of sending young children from all parts of the Plains to Ngatea for treatment is obvious, and the other objections aj-e sound; yet a solution appears difficult unless the department can be induced to vary its policy of centralisation. It will be remembered that some years ago the Patetonga school committee circularised other committe.es suggesting that representations be made to have the travelling dental clinic visit the Plains, About tha-t time the department abandoned the idea of travelling clinics in favour of the establishment of permanent clinics in suitable centres within easy reach of a number of surrounding schools. As a promise had been secured from a Cabinet Minister that the travelling clinic would visit the district as soon as possible, the Ngatea, district high school committee was advised by the department io proceed with the provision of a building suitable for use as a central clinic for the whole of the Plains. This was done, and in February last a dental officer was appointed and the service commenced. In its statement of policy the department details at length its attitude towards centralisation and - against travelling clinics. It states that apart from the liability of damage: to equipment, the plan of travelling Prom one school to another is undesirable ; the time wasted on travelling, packing apd unpacking, etc,, seriously re.duces the working time; and consequently the amount of treatment the dentist can perform. The time spent and expenses involved in travelling are. out of all proportion to the results obtained. It was realised that eventually this would have to be adopted to provide treatment to the children of out-of-the-way districts, but at present, with the large amount of easily accessible; work presenting itself elsewhere, the department would not be justified in confining its officers, to purely itinerant work when the time taken up in travelling 'could be more; profitably .utilised in providing treatment. The financial aspect is also considered by the department, as the amount spent in travelling reduces the funds available for .the extension of the field of operations. The greatest good for the greatest number is aimed at.

This being the department’s policy, it lias ruled that in tuture the patients from the Plains schools must go to Ngatea for treatment. Oil this decision being submitted .to the committees of schools not yet treated, they entered strong objections pointing out the difficulty of arranging transportation, thqir inability to pay for same out of school moneys, the fact that there was iio one to take ea,re of the young children while waiting for treatment, and also immediately after treatment. It may be that parent's will not view the matter in the same light when they consider the .advantages of the treatment, particularly whejn it is realised that parents a,re urged to bring children at an early age—preferably from two and a-half years, and that once a school child has received treatment it will ’continue to be kept under observation ano. given treatment when necessary as long as at school. The service is available for the children at present, provided they go to Ngatea, and if it is not

taken full advantage of the clinic may be closed and the officer trans-

fei’-red to some place where he will bq 'fully employed. The Plains appears to be one of the smallest districts in which a clinic ha.s been established, so to fall hi with the department’s policy of serving the greatest numbej- with the facilities at its disposal efforts should be made to utilise the service as much as possible. Possibly it is worth endeavouring to get the department to change its policy of centralisation and permit the dental officer to visit the' outlying schools. The Objections raised by the department seem out of proportion to the advantages, as the; cost of transportation and the duty of providing a suitable room in which to work, also lodgings Tor the dental officer is placed by the department on the people of the district visited. This cost is trivial when compared with .the cost of transporting children to a. central clinic, while, if suitable accommodation is provided at the outlying schools, the work is bound to be more satisfactory to the patients and more, expeditiously carried out. From its policy statement it appears that the department is alive to the advisability of the dentist giving undivided attention to one school or a small group of schools at a time, so that the work can be properly planned and patients are readily available at any time, if the department insists on centralisation at Ngatea it is obvious that even under a well regulated system there would be much fruitless travelling by children and much of the dentist’s time would be wasted.

Some time ago the denta.l officer established a base, at Kalherc, and later another at Patqtonga, to treat the children of those districts. The isolation of those districts from Ngatea is obvious, and from the knowii attitude Of the Patetonga school committee it is possible tha,t the departure. from policy was the result of representations to the department by that committee. The circumstances in regard to the other places on the Plains are not so glaring, but it seems possible that a sufficient case; could be. made out to induce the department to make other exceptions in its policy of centralisation. Settlers of the centres distant from Ngatea will undoubtedly co-operate with the department withiii reason, but for it to ask that children should be brought to Ngatea under the circumstances seems too much to expect.