DENTAL EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18456, 18 January 1922, Page 3

DENTAL EDUCATION

TD THE EDITOS. . . ' fhn, —A quotation- from the New Zealand Herald appearing in this morning’s Daily Times may mislead your readers as to tho position of dental education in the dominion, it seems as if a desire to injure the Dental School and the position of Dunedin ns an educational centre has blinded tho Herald as to the facts. The number of dental students now studying at tho University is 72, of -whom 25 arc from the North Island. 32 from the South Island outside Dunedin, and ’.5trom Dunedin. The Herald suggests that Dunedin is required to furnish the students, whereas of the 57 students from outside Dunedin, nearly 50 per cent, already come from the North Island. Never in the history of dentistry have (he professions id medicine and dentistry been brought, so much together as during tho last few years. The University education .of present-day dentists is on a much higher standard than was formerly (.lie case. In the light of modern knowledge as to oral sepsis and the woeful effects of unhealthy mouth conditions upon the whole constitution it is more than ever imperative that dental students should be in as close touch with the medical school as possible. The agitation which, a few men are making for admittance to the dental register, has given the New Zealand Herald an opportunity which it immediately grasped to endeavour once more' to upset the position of tho Dental School in Dunedin. The bursaries which are now available have quite altered the situation during the last few years, and the position and record of the school are such now that it is too firmly planted to lie uprooted. __ _ Tho men whoso cause the New Zealand Herald has espoused-'have absolutely no case. Tho Dentist. Act of 1904 was amended upon two occasions—in 1908 and in 1911 to admit, without University examination various men who had failed to qualify previously and were considered to have any reasonable claim. In 1912 tho register was finally closed to all, and the only portal was through tho LDiversity, which was open to anyone passing the matriculation examination. These men now claiming admission have either failed on these two occasions to pass tho simple tests which were required of thc'hi, or else have commenced their training as mechanics since (hat time, and with full knowledge of what was necessary if (hoy wished to qualify themselves for practice. Since (ho institution of tho bursaries any person in the dominion can bypassing the matriculation examination register as a dental student, and can, if he so desires, take the first two years of his course at the University Colleges in Auckland or in Wellington or in Christchurch and receive £SO a year towards his expenses when in Dunedin. 1 do not think any reasonable person in either island can suggest that If/e opportunities for a, dental career are restricted or (hat it is possible to obtain such (raining as is now required except in connection with the Medical School at the Otago University.—l am. etc., A. J. Ctihybtai.l, President, Otago Branch Now Zealand Dental Association.