CARE OF CHILDREN'S TEETH

Nelson Evening Mail, 15 May 1917, Page 5

CARE OF CHILDREN'S TEETH

STATE! DENTAL. CLINICS. The Hon. J. A. JEianan, Minister for Education, in reply to a question, by a reporter, said that the medical and dental inspection of school childrert is'under tfhe control of tho iFJducation Department. "The medical inspectors in the \ course of their, duties inspect the chil- ; dren's teeth," added the [Minister. "With.. , a view to this part of their school medir ' cal work, they all go for a special course to 'Dr. Pickerill, M.D., head of tEb dental faculty at the dental college, Otago , University, and. according to ODr. Pickerill's report to me, tfliey are quit© expert in examining and charting.the teeth. The ;school nurses, among their other excellent work, are inducing a large number of parents to have their children's teeth attended to. In a recent, report,. Dr. Pickerill pointed out that; the solution of the problem of the. scourge of dental diseases amongst chiU'!. dren~is mainly an educational one, and-: is a question of the education of the parents more than of the children. It is useless, says Dr. Pickerill, telling the child' what to do and what not. to -<lo, or what to eat and' what not to eat,nf the'parents-do not realise the necessityfor seeing that the instructions are car- , ried out; A circular giving instruction's with regard to the care of the teeth and: the mouth has been issued by the : Education (Department, ,and I am hoping' that when the war is over the dental plant'in the various camps ,will be given.' to -the Education /Department for the equipment, of State dental clinics -for the treatment of school children. In nearly, all progressive countries medical and dental inspection and treatment of sdhool children are under the control of the Education Department.'' •