HAWERA DENTAL CLINIC

Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1929, Page 13

HAWERA DENTAL CLINIC

RESPONSIBILITIES. SYSTEM OF COMBINED CONTROL. Representatives of the Hawera, Tokaora, Turuturu and Tawhiti school committees met • at Hawera last night to discuss matters in connection witli the dental clinic maintained at Hawera. Dr. W. M. Thomson, who presided, stated the Health Department asked the schools using each clinic to meet the cost of cleaning, laundry work and incidental expenses. The department trained the dental nurses and paid their salaries and the amount to bo found locally was about 39s a month. The object of the clinic was to render children dentally fit when they became pupils and to maintain them in that condition until they reached tho fourth standard. The Hawera clinic at present served the Hawera, Tokaora, Normanby, Turuturu, Tawhiti and Whareroa schools, which provided the full number of 750 children that one nurse could treat.

Other schools near Hawera which might also be interested wfere Ararata, Ohangai, Kapuni, Hastings Road, Hawera Convent, Manaia Convent and Manaia, though there would possibly be a sub-base at Manaia. Whakaniara, Meremere and Mokoia also were neighbouring schools that had no dental service.

At present Hawera had a B class clinic but the department might consider the establishment of an A class clinic with two nurses. That would provide for all tho schools mentioned.

The cost of building was £340 for an A class clinic and £2BO for a B class, tho Education Department providing two-thirds of the amount and the local committees one-third. The building used at Hawera was not ideal, being of the hutment type, but it was serving its present purpose satisfactorily. It was probable, however, that a new building would soon be required and it was therefore desirable that steps should be taken to raise funds.

If a committee of representatives were appointed -to take charge of the clinic and each district supported its representative the finance should easily be placed on a sound footing. In reply to a question the chairman said the Education Board and the committee were entirely m tho hands of the Health Department, the committee’s only duty being to find the necessary finance.

This was a. duty that should be undertaken cheerfully, for tho dental clinics were doing admirable work. Children who otherwise would receive no dental treatment were being attended to by skilled nurses and not only were their teeth put in order but they were also taught the importance of looking after their mouths. The- service given was worth a very large sum of money annually, a sum many times as great as that which the committees and parents were asked to provide for building and incidental expenses.

After some discussion it was decided that tiie dental clinic committee should consist of two representatives from Hawera and one from each of the other five schools, and .that each committee should appoint, its, own representative. .