DENTAL CLINIC

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4559, 13 April 1942, Page 8

DENTAL CLINIC

KAWHIA INSTITUTION TllE OPENING CEREMONY ‘A modern dental clinic, the need of which had been felt for a long time past, was formally opened at Kawhia by Mr W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., during Easter-week. At the opening gathering, which was thoroughly representative of the district, Colonel J. H. Matson, chairman of the Kawhia County Council, presided and made appropriate introductory remarks. Mr Broadfoot, in opening the clinic, said:— “The clinic, which we gather together to-day to open, is splendid evidence of what can be done by co-oper-ation. The people of Kawhia and the districts bordering on the harbour made a joint effort and raised the necessary funds to enable the clinic to be established. The Maori people and the pakeha both contributed generously with effort and money. To-day we have before us the tangible evidence of what can be done when the people are willing to help themselves.” A GREAT SERVICE Referring to the inception of the service, the member for Waitomo said: “The dental division was created and started operations in 1921 and has grown from nothing to the stage where at the end of March, 1941, 1881 schools were under systematic treatment, so that 112.090 children are now being treated. The number of operations last year reached the enormous total of 1,054,996. In all 272 school dental nurses are operating the clinics, while 139 students are being trained as dental nurses. To-day the dental division has a total personnel of 486, with 351 treatment centres in operation. In 1921, for every 100 fillings, there were 114 extractions; in 1941, for every 100 fillings there were 11.6 extractions, This is a remarkable achievement, and a highly desirable trend, though man-made teeth are not comparable to those of nature. The benefits of early dental treatment are not yet apparent in our adult population, but this early treatment will make itself felt in the years to come.” NEED FOR TREATMENT “Army reports to hand,” continued Mr Broadfoot, “show an amazing state of affairs. Between 21 and 45 years of age 60 per cent, of the men examined have dentures and of the remainder 80 per cent, require dental treatment. Modern civilisation has brought us many benefits, but at the same time it has brought its detriments, and one of the greatest of these is dental decay. Compare the condition of the teeth of our ancestors with that of the present generation; the comparison is not to the advantage of the present generation. It looks as though some of the trace minerals or

vitamins, are missing in the foodstuffs of to-day. Science has of recent years made remarkable progress in ascertaining what trace minerals and vitamins are essential to health of the human being. It remains that dental clinics are an essential challenge to us. They deal with effects and not fundamental causes. We should concentrate by intensive research upon the cause of our teeth problems for prevention is better than cure. This should be our motto. The Division is educating the present-day children in dental hygiene with markedly good results. Let us hope that its activities in this direction will in the near future be of benefit to the adult population as well. Now that you have a clinic, take an interest in it, regard it as your own and see that your dental nurse is given every facility and help to enable her to carry on the work in the most efficient manner possible. I now declare the clinic officially open and trust that it will be of lasting benefit to the children of the whole district.” (Loud applause). The Clinic is in charge of Miss K. Salter, who has been transferred to Kawhia from Hamilton.