DISEASES OF THE TEETH

Patea Mail, Volume L, 31 July 1929, Page 2

DISEASES OF THE TEETH

THE PROBLEM TREMENDOUS

DOMINION’S ! “APPALLING” FIGURES.

“The problem of dental disease is tremendous and has not yet been fully realised by the public,” was a statement made by Colonel T. A. Hunter, Director of Dental Hygiene®, at the official opening of the Onehunga dental clinic. “Do not allow your children to spend money on sweets; it. is bettor to spend it on fruit,” he-said. “Concentrated sugar is the cause of dental disease in New Zealand, where the people consume the enormous quantity of 1981 b of sugar annually per capita, as against two pounds per head in Italv.”

Colonel Hunter issued a warning that without the actiivc co-operation of the parents the dental work already done would be -wasted and would lead to serious curtailment of the State’s activities in fighting dental diseases. He mentioned two schools, having a combined attendance of 11S pupils, where the teeth of 114 of them had been found defective and required no fewer than 49S fillings and 382 extractions. These appalling figures, he said, were general throughout the Dominion, but in spite of criticism the problem was being solved by the existing methods better than anything yet suggested.