SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 24493, 22 July 1941, Page 4

SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE

EXTENSION TO BE MADE INCLUSION OF UPPER STANDARDS (Special) WELLINGTON, July 21. Plans leading to further important developments in an extension of the School Dental Service are being prepared by the Health Department, according to a statement made today in an interview by the Minister of Health (the Hom A. H. Nordmeyer). “Operations have now reached a stage where we are in a position to take steps to increase the field of service to cover the upper standards of our primary schools,” said the Minister, “and I have already directed that wherever circumstances permit treatment will be, continued into Standard V this year. Remarking that reports just received by him from officers of the Dental Division marked the culmination of a period of unprecedented activity m the work of the School Dental Service, Mr Nordmeyer stressed the need for developing the school service. While the aim of the department was to prevent dental as well as other diseases, it had to be recognized that a vast amount of dental disease already existed and had to be treated. The education side, however, was also receiving close attention as was shown by the fact that last year the number of talks and other activities carried out by the field staff was more than 3000. The results achieved by the School Dental Service were one of the most gratifying features of the department’s activities. RECORDS ESTABLISHED Mr Nordmeyer said two new records had been set by the service. The number of children receiving treatment throughout the Dominion was now more than 115,000, and for the first time, in the history of the service operations had exceeded 1,000,000 in a year. That was a striking tribute to the work being done in caring for the dental health of the children. The scope of the work was best illustrated by saying that 1,000,000 operations a year meant approximately 5000 for each school' day. “Another highly significant fact, and one to which I attach the utmost importance, is that for every 100 fillings done extractions amount to only 11.6 for both'first and permanent teeth,” he said. “For permanent teeth alone the ratio is 0.97 extractions, or less than one tooth extracted to every 100 fillings. In the first year of the service 114 extractions were made for every 100 fillings. The strikingly low figure demonstrates clearly that systematic attention to the teeth of a child will result in more of his natural teeth being saved, and in the long run will ensure a better state of physical fitness. The health policy of the Government is aimed at achieving ultimately the maximum standard of national fitness by providing dental treatment and instruction in oral hygiene for children. I feel that we are doing something that is definitely constructive in the realm of preventive medicine.” FIVE-YEAR PLAN When the Labour Party came into power the School Dental Service was only partly developed, the Minister said. Departmental officers were immediately asked to prepare a plan which would ensure service reaching all schools within the prescribed time and if possible within five years. The five years was now up and the service was within a measurable distance of being available to all schools. The war had caused some difficulties as did delay in completing the new Dominion training school for dental nurses, but to all intents and purposes the five-year plan envisaged by the Government was completed at least to the extent that more than 80 per cent, of all primary schools were now linked with the service. “The extension of treatment to Standard V was recently authorized by the Cabinet, and in a numbex- of schools Standard V children are now receiving it,” the Minister said. “The department is now preparing plans for its extension to Standard VI. The aim of the Government is to bring the service within the reach of the entire school and eventually to cater for post-prim-ary schools as well, so that a pupil, from the time he enters the primers until he leaves secondary school, will have constant dental treatment. When he leaves school he will leave with a 100 per cent, healthy mouth.” WORD TO PARENTS In a final word to parents Mr Nordmeyer said that while the department was doing its best to keep the children’s teeth healthy, its effects would be largely wasted if parents did not carry on the good work after boys and girls left school. Most parents appreciated their responsibility, but he seriously appealed for co-operation to the minority who, through indifference or carelessness, let years of treatment go for nothing.