COUNTRY DENTAL NEEDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19860, 2 February 1928, Page 12

COUNTRY DENTAL NEEDS.

TREATMENT OF CHILDREN. MINISTER URGED TO ACT. The dental .needs of back-blocks children were stressed at a meeting of the Auckland Education Board yesterday, when it was decided to make further representations to the Minister of Education for the provision of a suitable means for treating children who had no aecess to a clinic. A letter was received from the Minister stating that the Minister of Health was satisfied that a denta.l caravan "was not the best means of providing dental treatment in country districts. The chairman, Mr. A. Burns, said the board wished to know the best means of treatment. Personally, he was in favour of the caravan. "ITie board was desirous of encouraging people to go out into the back-blocks, and an* efficient dental seryice would help in this direction. Mr. F. A. Snell expressed surprise at the attitude taken up by the Minister of Health with regard to the caravan in view of a statement made at a recent public meeting. Mr. H. S. W. King urged the reintroduction of the dental caravan, which, lie said, had formerly been of service to the troops. He deplored the action of the department in setting-up expensive clinics iu towns where the children could .have been treated after school hours by certain specified dentists. Mr. J. Patterson sf.id the difficulty in establishing country clinics was that dental nurses did not wish to go.out into the country. He cited a case in the IPukekohe district in support of bis statement. "It seems to mr." said Mr. R. Hoe. C'fhat nurses go where it is easiest, not "where they are most needed." i! was decided to urge the Minister to confer with '-.lie Minister of Health with a. view to evolving some scheme for the satisfactory treatment of country children.