OUR BABIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3102, 27 August 1913, Page 62

OUR BABIES.

Bt Htgeia.

X’ubUshecl under the auspices of the Society for the Health of Women anti Children. " It is 'viper to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.”

ADDRESSES OF PLUNKET NURSES AND SECRETARIES. Dunedin.—Plunket Nurse l.aing. . Tel. 1136. Piunkct Nurse M’Laron. Tel. 2814. Office of the Society, Post Office Building, Liverpool street, Dunedin. Office, hours, daily (except Saturday and Sunday), from 3 to 4 p.m. Ron. Secretary, Airs Joseph Al‘George, 54 London street. Tel. 1737. Christchurch. —Plunket Nurses Ellis, Hansard, and K-ilgour. Office of the Society, Chancery Lane. Office hours, 2 to 5 p.m. daily (except Sunday). Hon Secretary, Aire H. Pyne, Bern icy avenue. Tel. 285. Wellington.—Piunkct Nurse A 1 organ ; assistant, Nurse - Mackintosh. Society’s Room,'B6 Vivian street. Tel. 2425. Hon, Secretary, Airs M‘Vicar, 27 Brougham street. City. Tel. 2642. Auckland.—Plunket Nutses Chappell and Morgan. Tel. 851. Office of the Society, 2 Chancery street. Tel. 829. Office hours, Tuesdays and Fridays, 2.30 to 4 p.m. Hon. Secretary. Mrs W. H. Parkcs, Alarinoto, Svmonds street. Tel. 240. Napier. Plunket Nurse Donald, Marine Parade. Hon. Secretary, Mrs Hector Smith. Timaru. —Plunket Nurse Bowie. Office of the Society, Sophia street. Tel. 314. Office hours, 3.30 to 4.30 p.m.; Saturday, 2.30 to 4 p.m Hon. Secretary, Mr Ernest Howdcn. * _ , Invercargill.—Plunket Nurse O’Shea, Allen s Hall, Kelvin street. Hon. Secretary, Mrs Cruickshank. Gala street. Hastings (Hawke’s Bay). —Plunket Nurse Purcell. Office of the Society at Air Bates’s Pharmacy. Hon. Secretary, Airs T. W. Lewis. Tel. 285. Wanganui District. —Travelling Plunket Nurse. Wanganui, Alarton, Patca, Nurse Hurethouse. Tel. 949. Secretary and Treasurer, Aliss B. Cummins. To 1 . 377, Oamaru District. —Travelling Plunket Nurse Dcnniston. Hon. Secretary, Airs Haines, Bank of Now Zealand. Danncvirkr. —Plunket Nurse Wright. Hon. Secretary, Airs Bickford, Bank of New Zealand. Ashburton.—Plunket Nurse Kilgour. Hon. Secretary. Aliss M. Aloore, corner of Cass and Peter streets. Soo : oty’s Baby Hospital, Karitane Harris Hospital. Anderson’s Bay. Dunedin. Tel. 1985 l Alatron. AT iefi Campbell. The Alatrop has begun a systematic course of talks to mothers and others, to bo continued every Wednesday afternoon between 2.30 and 3.30. At these talks the Matron will be glad to answer questions. All interested are invited to attend.

DECAYED TEETH. The following inquiry was received a short time ago from a country township. As the care of our children’s • teeth is a matter of the first importance, we feel sure that “ Inquirer's ” letter and Dr Piekerill’s reply will bo.read with great interest: Dear “ Hygeia,”—l wish to ask your advice about a little girl's teeth. She is nearly six, and some of her lower molars are badly decayed, two being mere shells. (Should those ch'Cayed tooth bo extracted? We might have had this done, but were told her ponn inent teeth would then come through prematurely, and would not therefore be so durable. In her upper jaw her second teeth arc very irregular, the two front ones being very broad, but those adjoining quite small.—l am, etc., IXQriRF.It. This question was subrnited to the leading authority in the Dominion—namely, Dr Pickorill, Professor of Dentistry at the Otago University, who, as our honorary dental surgeon, has always given every encouragement ai.d assistance to the Society. The following is his reply: DU PICKER ILL’S REPLY. I am always very glad to be of any use to you and your work. As regards the questions you ask. it is very difficult to lay down "any hard-and-fast rules. It all depends upon whether sepsis is present or not, and whether the latter is amenable to treatment. Rut in all cases of carious deciduous teeth something must be done. It must not bo allowed (as is often the case) to slide. The teeth should be filled if possible, and if not they should bo extracted. Two or three years of septic absorption may' fur outweigh in evil effects any deformity which may result from too early extraction. I am having typed extracts on the subject from my latest book on " Stomatology,” which explain the position, I think ; if not, please let mo know. EXTRACTS FROM ” STOMATOLOGY.” The necessity of children masticating food which requires the exercise of some force should he pointed out, and if necessary suitable diets arranged for particular cases. Great care should lie taken of the deciduous teeth, that these do not become so diseased as to necessitate their extraction before the right age. Should they, however become hopelessly septic, they must bo extracted, since the risk of septic absorption for, perhaps, a year or two far outweighs the evil effect of crowding the permanent teeth. Deciduous teeth retained beyond the normal age should be extracted if there is any sign of the presence of (lie permanent tooth —usually to he detected as a bulging of the bone upon palpation immediately below the deciduous tooth. Sometimes a difficulty may arise in deciding whether a particular tooth is a deciduous or permanent one. This may be determined by drawing a fine-pointed probe over the termination of the enamel at the cervix. In deciduous teeth it terminates in a distinct ridge; in permanent teeth its termination is not noticeable. A deciduous looth should net, however, be extracted if possible before the ago at which its permanent successor should erupt, and it should not be allowed to remain much after this period without due

reason. It is therefore eminently necessary to remember the numbers which represent the ages at which the respective deciduous teeth should be lost physiologically : 7 central. 8 lateral. 10 first deciduous molars. 11 canine. 11 second deciduous molars.