SCHOOL CHILDREN’S TEETH

Matamata Record, Volume XVII, Issue 1589, 24 December 1934, Page 5

SCHOOL CHILDREN’S TEETH

WORK OF DENTAL CLINIC Matamata’s Sixth Year The Matamata. dental .clinic/which is housed in >a . neat building in the I grounds of the Matamata Primary School, has now completed six years of good work for the benefit of the children of the Matamata district. In 1929 the Matamata Clinic was opened. Valuable pioneering work was done by Miss Jolly, who was in charge for the first eighteen months. Her successor, Miss I. Coulter, has continued the good work for the past 8 i years in a most efficient manner, and during her regime the clinic has grown till it is now above the recognised limit for one nurse.

Nearly 700 Children Treated

This year a total of 674 children in the lower classes of the Matamata school and 12 country schools have been treated at the clinic. The children came from the following schools:—

, x vtai •• •• •• ' * New patients treated at the clinic olds who have just started their totalled 141, being mainly six-y earschool careers and children under school age. Altogether there were 1734 “ attendances at the clinic.” That means that some of the 674 patients on the roll were frequent visitors to the clinic. Nearly 5000 Operations Just how busy the dental nurse at the Matamata Clinic has been this year can be imagined from the fact that for the year 1934 up to the end of November there have been 1746 fillings in “ first ” teeth and 1221 fill-* ings in permanent teeth, a total of 2967 fillings, or about a dozen a day for every day that the clinic is open for business. Extractions of teeth at the clinic this year have totalled 909, of which 868 were “ first ” teeth and fortunately only 41 were permanent teeth which can never be replaced. “ Miscellaneous operations ” a term which covers a multitude of useful jobs in the cause of keeping good teeth good—totalled 892. Thus the total number of operations carried out by the dental nurse during the year totalled 4768, or over 13 for each of the 365 days in the year.

This big total is well in excess of such a school clinic as that of Morrinsville, and reveals in a marked manner, not only the high capabilities of Miss Coulter, but also the interest that the parents of the district have for the welfare of the children in that they realise how essential it is for the youngsters to commence life with a sound set of toeth. For some time the Matamata Dental Clinic Committee has realised the need for extra assistance, and in view of the fact that Miss Coulter is handling far more than the recognised quota, have had to refuse applications from ' other schools. However, the committee did not allow the matter to rest there. but in order to give all children the benefit of the clinic, has been in touch with the department with a view to getting either an assistant nurse at Mat j lata, or, preferably, another clinic opened at Tirau. Children and Clinic

A feature of the Matamata Clinic which has been frequently referred to at the. meetings of the committee, is that far from showing the dread which many grown-up people display towards a visit to dental parlours, such is. Miss Coulter’s handling of the children that the youngsters look forward with pleasure to their visits to the clinic., 1 Comparison With Morrinsville

As an indication of the size to which the Matanfrata service has grown, a comparison with the latest figures of the Mprrinsville Clinic is attached, those of the latter being given in parentheses: Children treated, 674 ,(585); contributing schools, 13 (11); new patients, 141 (95); attendances, 1734 (1680); total operations, 4678 (3806). The figures for the year are extraordinarily high and the number of children dealt with' is a fine tribute to the ability of the nurse-in-charge (Miss Coulter).

Treatment From. Primer I.

The clinic building at Matamata, which stands near the Domain, is a bright and cheery place, and very different from what the rooms of dentists are sometimes described as in comic papers. Windows to north and south let in the sunshine, and attractive coloured pictures illustrating the way to look after teeth adorn the white wooden walls. As soon as children are put on the school roll in primer 1 they are examined by - • the dental nurse, and then at intervals until they reach standard 4, so that every child in the lower standards will be in possession of sound teeth, many of them sprinkled with fillings, perhaps, but certainly not decayed. Very few children join the roll of the clinic at the start of their schooldays with a sound set of first teeth. Nearly all those inspected for the first time have cavities that require filling. But for the clinic most of these first teeth would never be filled,, but the view of dental experts is that a sound set of teeth is necessary at all times, so that even the cavities of the first teeth need filling. Absesced first teeth may cause damage to the enamel surface of the second teeth forming beneath them. By the time the children reach standard IV. most will have lost their first teeth and got all their permanent teeth.. Interest of Parents Children from? the country schools are usually brought into Matamata to the clinic by their parents, who are thus able to meet the nurse and have a glance at the interior of the clinic. It is a pity that only a few parents of children attending the Matamata school visit the nurse, because many of them never get a first-hand knowledge and appreciation of the good work being done. Parents contribute 2/6 a year for each child on the clinic roll, but the committee has power to vary this amount in necessitous- case?.

-: ■ • , -A: rtr--v,r-;i! :■ • THE MATAMATA RECOBP, • RUSSIAN MISSIONED ■t- * TE POI SCHOOL • ; ' SCHOOL CHILDREN’S TEETH VISIT TO MATAMATA ANNUAL SPORTS WORK OF DENTAL CLINK Her Personal Experiences The annual sports meeting hejd in conjunction with the breaking-up Matamata’s Sixth Year Great interest was taken in the 7 yisit of Miss Natalie Grushenkova, of the Russian Misionary Society, to . Matamata recently. The visitor, who is a graduate of London University, spoke fluently. Among the audience were several people known to be sympathetic towards the present regime in Russia, * .and who were prepared to ask questions. However, the chairman (the Rev. A. Blakemore) said the meeting was not political, and no questions would be allowed. He asked the audi- * . ence to accept this ruling and to listen in a reverent manner. The request was observed. Detailing a personal experience, JVliss Grushenkova said that she had viewed the city of Bath, England, at flight from a friend’s home on a hill in the suburbs. The city was in dark- ■ ness except for a few cottage lights. This recalled to her the days of -darkness when people had tried to blot out the Light of God, but had failed. She thought of the times when Bibles had been burned in England—yet the light had spread. Russia was passing through a period of great spiritual, darkness, . , ’ bqt the speaker was convinced that there were many cottage lights, '.burning'in Russia and many glowing J * embeds just waiting to be,fanned into flames. The Communists and the White ceremony of the Te Poi School, was held on Thursday in Mr. Hamilton’s paddock. There waS ' a good attendance although many were kept away in the harvest field. Mr.! F/'C. Whytcross spoke a few words on behalf of the school committee, and these were acknowledged by the teacher, Mr. J. J. Molloy. Special Prizes During the day each child attending the school was given a book, and lunch and afternoon tea were also provided. Special prizes were also presented, and the winners were as follows: — Diligence (infants), Kathleen Hamilton; Standard I., Nola Wardlaw; Standard II., Fay Nelmes; Standard III., F. McLaughlan; Standard IV., V. Birkett. A special prize given by Miss Walker for the best seamstress was won by Jean Harray. Herbert Smith Cup A feature of the afternoon was the skipping event in which the competitors had to skip against time. The period was five minutes and the winner was R. Jamieson, who totalled 413. V. Birkett was a close second with 412. Other totals were: p; Dinsdale 369, P. Woolnough 355, VI. Dalton 286, 0. Woolnough 117 and G. Quinlan 30. The competition was for a Herbert Smith Cup and all girls who were eligible competed. The Matamata. dental .clinic/whic is-housed in .a .neat building in th grounds of the Matamata Primary School, has now completed six year of good work for the benefit of th< children of the Matamata district. In 1929 the Matamata Clinic was opened. Valuable pioneering worl was done by Miss Jolly, who was ir charge for the first eighteen months Her successor, Miss I. Coulter, has continued the good work for the pasl 3£ years in a most efficient manner and during her regime the clinic has grown till it is now above the recognised limit for one nurse. Nearly 700 Children Treated This year a total of 674 children in the lower classes of the Matamata school and 12 country schools have been treated at the clinic. The children came from the following schools: — Matamata 192 Walton 57 Mati 16 Mangawhero . . . . 22 Okoroire Railway .. 25 Turanga-o-moana .. 27 Waharoa 79 Hinuera 37 Te Poi 64 Richmond Downs .. 11 Selwyn ■ - 8 - «■ Wardville 22 Tirau 65 Under school age .. 49 Total 674