DENTAL CLINIC

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19024, 26 May 1936, Page 15

DENTAL CLINIC

COMMITTEE MEETS UNPAID SUBS('IPTIONS At- a meeting of (lie. Gisborne Dental Ulinic Committee last, evening Mr. J--11. Sunderland occupied the chair and I here were also present representatives ol the various town schools, with the except ion. of Te 1 la-para.

Tho clinic nurses, who were in attendance, reported that 415 operations had been carried out during the mouth and' that, new entrants had received attention as quickly as possible. It was pointed out by the nurses that not all tlio parents had fully realised the necessity of paying the annual subscriptions for their children. There, were 80 children on the roll from one school alone whose subscriptions had not, been paid. Children whose subscriptions were not paid for this year would lose, the chance of receiving treatment in 1937. The apathy of parents in the matter was tho subject of some dismission, when it yvas mentioned that for tile annual subscription of 3s a child received attention every six months from the time he or she commenced school until he or site passed Std. IV. However, if a child was not, enrolled at the clinic while in the primer classes he could not join after passing into Std.

•The nurses stated also that in many instances they Imd found that there was considerable apathy on the part ol parents with regard to encouraging the children to clean their teeth. Much ol the work performed bv the clinic was thus counteracted. It was not necessary for them to use expensive tooth pastes so long as the, particles of food were brushed from the teeth.

A deputation was received Iron) the women’s branch of the L’nemployed Workers’ Alovement with regard to tree treatments for necessitous eases. Ihe committee explained that- it. had done as much as it could in the matter. All necessitous cases that, had come under its notice had been sympathetically dealt with. The chairman commended the nurses for their services at (lie clinic, mentioning that, it was a matter of thankfulness to the committee that Aliss AleQueen was not to he transferred as they had been previously advised. The question of beautifying Hie grounds of the clinic was left in (he hands of Hie secretary, Air. A. Langrkl ge, who staled that lie would gratefully accept any donations of shrubs. Accounts amounting to £5 15s 8d were passed for payment.