School Dental Services

Northland Age, Volume XVII, Issue 15, 21 November 1947, Page 5

School Dental Services

’ An Interview With I)r. R. M. S. Taylor In a private interview after the official opening of the Awanui Primary School Dental Clinic on Friday afternoon, Dr. R. M. S. Taylor, principal dental officer for the Auckland district, stated that only in some cases did parents respond enthusiastically to the invitations extended to j them to co-operate with the nurses I in rendering the best possible ser- | vices to the children. Dr. Taylor had previously stressed the fact that school dental clinics were part of the school’s educational facilities, and gave as his opinion that parents generally required reeducating to appreciate the fact that they were not set up for the mere treatment of disease. Although no statistics had been taken, it appeared that the responses in country districts had been more gratifying than had those in the town areas, probably | (said Dr. Taylor) because the past lack of facilities had made the present expansion of the service into outlying areas more readily appreciated. Speaking with regard to the promotion of health of the mouth and teeth, Dr. Taylor said that fluctuations due directly to changes of diet had been noticeable over the comparatively short period of a few months. These fluctuations had been particularly noticeable among native children whose diets changed with the seasons, and had been established by research within the service. Dr. Taylor has personally carried out research among the aboriginals of Central Australia, and he said that the information which he had gathered from studying these people had been of inestimable value in the pursuance of his duties in the school dental service. In the course of his address to the visitors who had attended the opening ceremony, the Doctor stated that he was gratified at the attendance of parents and hoped that his explanation of some of the aims of the service woud lead to a better understanding of the need for their full co-operation. SCOTTISH SOCIETY CELEBRATES ST. ANDREW’S DAY The St. Andrew’s Day celebration in Kaitaia took the form of a social evening held by the Kaitaia Scottish Society in the Parish Hall on Saturday evening. There was a large, attendance of members of mixed ages, and the programme arranged by Mesdames W. Parker and C. Gibson provided a variety of entertainment. Vocal items were given by Mesdames F. Begley, L. Shalders and Bridgeford (Mesdames Shalders and Bridgeford a duet), Mr. J. Cowie and Mr. E. Kendrick. Mr. Kendrick also gave an elocutionary item. Dance items included a sword dance by Pauline Dykes and a rendition of the Irish jig by Margaret Spalding and Eleanor Shalders. Several of the younger girls danced the Highland fling. Mrs. Gibson and Mr. E. Kendrick (piano accordion) provided the accompaniment for the dancing which followed, and Mrs. T. Maugham also took her turn at the piano during the evening. The Rev. J. Graham gave an address on “St. Andrew of Scotland.” Supper was served to the company by several of the members, and an extremely successful function concluded with dancing until nearly midnight.