CARE OF THE TEETH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20255, 15 May 1929, Page 15

CARE OF THE TEETH.

RESOURCES OF, PROFESSION.

FULL PUBLIC USE NOT MADE. MECHANICAL ART EMPHASISED. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. Some popular beliefs regarding dental troubles and their causes were questioned to-day by Dr. J. Y. Warren, of Auckland, in his presidential address nt the opening of the New Zealand Dental Association conference. He suggested that the demand for artificial dentures, while justified to some extent, was ignoring the full resources of the dental profession in the way of conserving the natural teeth, and was failing to take full advantage of conservative methods of treatment which were available. The development of dentistry was traced by Dr. Warren, and the advance in knowledge and methods which had, he suggested, led to an over-emphasis of the mechanical art. Professional opinion on many matters was, ho said, in such a state of flux that it would bo difficult for an assembly of dentists to agree on a definition for the term "good dentistry." "If there could be a general understanding of what is meant by that term," said Dr. Warren, "it would help to ensure progress, especially in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of various dental diseases. The conflict of professional opinion on these matters must be held partly responsible for the premature loss of so many teeth, that the laity ha 3 come to regard the term 'permanent teeth' a misnomer; and the wearing of artificial dentures is becoming so general that overseas visitors wonder whether it has acquired the status of being a national custom in New Zealand. "From this state of affairs an intelligent layman might infer that the dental profession is almost destitute of knowledge that would enable more people to retain their natural teeth. If this inference is a logical one, and I think it is, our status as a profession is so adversely affected that we should produce the evidence to prove that it has no foundation in fact. "The first responsibility of the dental profession is the prevention of dental caries, and we have made many worthy efforts to discharge it. We all agree to the broad statement that diet is perhaps the chief causative agent of dental caries, but in contradistinction to those who contend that the local deposition of food is the principal cause, I would maintain that the basic cause of dental disease must be attributed to dietetic error. If daily observation possesses any value, it would seem that excessive consumption of such foods as bread, potatoes, milk puddings, jam and all kinds of confectionery induces a state of carbohydrate poisoning, which, becoming chronic, constitutes one of the basic causes of dental disease, and, on medical authority, of many other maladies."

A dentist might feel that in many cases conservative treatment would give good results, but he knew that only a comparatively small section of the public appreciated it well enough to afford the time and money which it entailed, therefore much of his practice must be devoted to the extraction of teeth, and their replacement by artificial dentures. This was one of the chief reasons why the wearing of artificial dentures had become so prevalent—not because the dental profession was destitute of any other knowledge. SCHOOL DENTAL CLINICS. ASSURANCE BY MINISTER. [BT TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The desire of the Government that the work of school dental clinics should not interfere with the legitimate work of the dental profession was emphasised by the Minister of Health, Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, when addressing the Dental Conference to-day. The school system was not designed to encroach upon the peculiar preserves of the profession, said the Minister. Ninetyfive per cent, of school children up to Standard IV. were without very essential dental service, and the natural conclusion was that they were unable to get it. As the profession had no organisation for the treatment of children he thought they had done right by saying to the Government that it was the Government's responsibility. It was the earnest desire of the Government to co-operate with the profession, not to compete with it. The president of the Dental Association, Dr. J. Y. Warren, gave the Minister an assurance that he possessed their confidence.