DENTISTRY FOR THE MASSES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8179, 22 July 1912, Page 1

DENTISTRY FOR THE MASSES

In view of the New Zealand Dental Conference’s sitting in Wellington this week, 'come remarks by Dr. Charles. N, Johnson, of Chicago, ono of the beetknown dental practitioners in the United States, who attended the Australasian Dental Conference in Brisbane, are of more than, passing interest. Dr. Johnson, in an interview, stated that there was at present, a great movement not only in America, biit the whole world over, which had in view tho remedying of the dental defects of the people at large. ,In Chicago, for instance, there were ten dental infirmaries for the care of tho teeth of poor children. Yojc the sake of convenience these were established in the schools, and a dentist from the Public Department of Health was. in attendance. These infirmaries were maintained by contributions. from the public. One contributor had guaranteed to maintain the ten infirmaries in such a manner that it would, be , possible to pay good salaries to. the practitioners until such time as -the city council could be induced to take over, this- very necessary work." -It’was, he-contended, a civic duty to -look after tho, teeth of the poorer• people,< -not only from a health point of view, but from.the view of civic economy.’ In 'the city of Chicago, for instance, statistics had proved tnat no less than 6000 children had failed to pass, their gra'des through ailments arising Tidfu dental" defects. This meant the expenditure of 300,000 dollars in the education necessary ’ to. enable these "backwards" to get through their examinations, and if one quarter of that amount had been expended in the provision of facilities for studying and remedying these diseases it would have meant that the children would have advanced in their studies at a much more rapid rate of progress, and that their health would hare been materially improved.