CHILDREN'S TEETH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 21 September 1909, Page 1

CHILDREN'S TEETH.

Decayed teeth are -notoriously' prevalent among colonial children. Exschools have, revealed a startlingly bad condition of affairs, and Australian results are 'just as deplorable. ' : An examination conducted by dentists in a Xorth Melbourne State school recently, according fo the "Argus," showed that over 95 per cent, of the children had defective I teeth. The Minister of Education, , the pres-doat of the Victorian Odontological Society and five other members of the Society paid:' a surprise visit to the 1 school. The first child examined was a girl eight years of age, and of her sixteen permanent teeth no fewer' than ten -were found to be. defective. A, ;iittlc boy nine years old had traces Df decay in ten out of fifteen permanent teeth, and in a great many instances the. molars were affected be/ond" 'A hurried examination'-at 'random"- failed ' to reveal one child in the class' with perfect teeth. Then one of the xperts, having obtained permisiontfrr/rri the Minister of E.liicatinn, a-ilcod' the children a few questions. many of you brushed your; teeti) th:s morning?" he inquired. TweVo out of a class of between fifty and sixty children held up their, hand's. "Now, nands np, all children who have, no tooth-brushes," continued the dentist. Twenty-three- .admitted, .nonpossession. Nine of the class, accarding to the expert's test," had never had- tooth-ache, but as on of the nine was a little, fellow with ten badly-affected teeth' and a half-de- \ eloped gumboil, ti is. evident that ha at least, hardly' understood the question. About fifteen admitted having been compelled to stay away -from school owing to toothache. " The dentist's address ■ to- the class, was brief and pointed. , "Look after your teeth, iioy arid' girls," he said, " "and don.'t forget" this — clean teeth never decay. 1 ' . . The examination was • extended to - the other classes, with the result that over 95 per cent of the children -worn found to have defects', and in 75 per cent of the cases tie. permanent molars were affected. . Incidentally, the need of medical infection -was made very evident. A paje-faced boy, with spots <ra his, face, was -pro'.twiriced to 'be suffering, or recovering from chicken-pox, . ~ aid a doctor's thermometer showed ;fiis tenperaturo to be over 100 degress. ' The • head teacher promptly- sent the .boy.hoaie. . ■ .' ."■'■'■ .!;.'i\ "■■ . ■