STATUS OF DENTISTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22493, 10 August 1936, Page 11

STATUS OF DENTISTS

AUSTRALIA COMMENDED MOST ADVANCED LEGISLATION [nv TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] DUNEDIN, Saturday Striking instances of the extent to which dentistry is engaging tho attention of the Federal and State Governments in Australia were given yesterday by Dr. C. H. Tait, of Dunedin, who has returned from a visit to Australia. The dental profession in that country, he said, had 011 the whole a higher social status than in New Zealand. This was the direct outcome of recognition by the Federal and State Governments of the great importance of scientific dentistry to the health and physical condition of the people. ]n order to stimulate the best in dentistry the State Governments had introduced the most advanced dental legislation in tho world and had placed the conduct of dentistry in the dentists' hands by the formation of dental boards. To-day dentistry in Australia was practised 011 a truly professional basis and with almost perfect conduct, so that the public was benefiting by a general all round raising of the standard.

Men holding the degree of doctor of dental science were sought after as honorary dentists in all the hospitals and hold equal standing with men in any other department of medicine or surgery. They conducted their outpatient department, examined and consulted with their medical confreres in all doubtful cases, and bad their operating days. This applied to dental as well as general hospitals, and as a consequence the relationship between medicine and dentistry was most cordial. This was evidenced by the many combined meetings to discuss questions of mutual interest, and by the fact that the president of the dental postgraduate committee was one of the leading surgeons.