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Dental Hygiene Report
Department o f Dental Health Education 5. “ Dental Health D ay” : T he hygienist, with the cooperation o f the teachers, w ill stage an entertainment at the schoolhouse, town hall, or community health house. Each grade w ill have some part in the program which w ill vary according to size o f town. Plays, songs, stories, slides, and movies are obtainable from the Massachusetts D e partment o f Public Health.
2.
3. 4. 5. 6.
W H A T I T HAS D ON E A
7.
D e m o n s t r a t io n
The Visiting and Instructive Dental H y gienic Clinic has been to the fo llo w in g towns: Danvers, Peabody, Westboro, Andover, Wrentham. “ Communities having once availed them selves o f this service invariably request a return visit or establish their own dental clinic. Hundreds o f school teachers and nurses who have come in contact with this project endorse it unhesitatingly.” A R epo r t
C o n c r e te
o f
C lin ic
E x a m p i .e
a t
D an vers—
1925
Fifteen hundred pupils were examined fo r dental attention— children from first to eighth, grades. Notices o f w ork needed were sent home. A public meeting was held at which the second grade staged a play— “ T h e Bad Baby M ola r” — and the first grade gave a toothbrush drill. Number odontexesis (clea n in g), 521; schoolroom talks, 39; toothbrush drills, 4 3 ; (fifteen-minute talk given with each drill) ; newspaper articles, 4 ; conferences (school teachers, e tc.), 10; public meetings, — ; health plays and lectures in schools, • — ; slide lecture on the importance and care o f teeth, — ; number movie theaters— ; dental films shown, 3 ; places posters shown, 35; number times Massachusetts Department o f Public Health films shown, 4. Danvers has had this clinic fo r three years, and they are getting splendid results. It
C an
W H AT THE
D o
t h e
Sa m e
f o r
C O M M U N IT Y
Y ou
M U ST DO
T h is clinic is run at cost, usually from $40 to $50 a week, depending on location o f town. This amount covers all necessary expense to the community, except tooth pow der or brushes, which w ill be furnished at cost. T he community must: 1. Guarantee and assume responsibility fo r
8.
175
operating the clinic and pay each week by certified check. Secure livin g quarters— not to exceed $7.00 per week. Transfer clinic equipment from express office to location o f clinic and back. Furnish suitable quarters fo r the clinic. Assume legal responsibility fo r cleaning and examining children so treated’ Cooperate with hygiene council and state health officials in advertising clinic and its purpose. I f possible, assign assistant to the hy gienist— someone fam iliar with local conditions to help with the children and lectures. Arrange fo r hall in case o f public meeting. D E N T A L H Y G IE N E R E P O R T
T H E PR O M O TIO N G IEN E
OF
OF THF, W E L F A R E AND
M A T E R N IT Y
AND
HY
IN F A N C Y
The act fo r the promotion o f the welfare and hygiene o f maternity and infancy, passed by Congress, N ov. 23, 1921, which is popu larly known as the Sheppard-Towner Act, makes available to the states that w ill raise a similar amount, federal funds to aid in reducing maternal and infant mortality and promoting the health o f mothers and infants. At the close o f the fiscal year 1925, all states except Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maine and Massachusetts were cooperating under the provisions o f the act. A report o f the dental hygiene activities taken from the bulletin on “ T he Promotion o f the W elfare and H y giene o f Maternity and Infancy,” published by the U. S. Department o f Labor, Children’s Bureau (Publication No. 156) is as fo llo w s : “ Dental attention given to preschool chil dren was reported in connection with the general physical examination o f children at conferences in most o f the States in which dental examination was mentioned as in cluded in the maternity and infancy work. Dental conferences or clinics were reported by 15 States, and more than 13,000 children were given attention at a total o f 330 such conferences. In Pennsylvania assistance ir\ this phase o f the work was given by a divi sion o f the State department o f health which regularly devotes most o f its attention to dental care f o r children o f school age.
Full-time dentists or dental hygienists were
176
The Journal of the American Dental Association
reported as on the staffs o f only two States. In the other States reporting dental con fer ences or clinics the w ork was done by den tists volunteering- their services or employed fo r short periods o f time. Frequent mention was made in State reports o f the generous cooperation o f local dentists when child-health conferences were held in their communities. In Virginia, especial emphasis was put on dental hygiene work, 2,033 preschool children having been reached during one six-month period. Dental care during pregnancy and the nursing period has not as yet been given the attention which is admittedly desirable. H ow ever, the importance o f care o f the teeth is emphasized in prenatal conferences and lit erature dealing with prenatal care.” F IE L D N O TES* Nebraska has a Committee on Oral H y giene Education, o f which Dr. F. F. W hit comb o f Omaha is chairman. There are now thirty-eight states with committees on mouth hygiene and public instruction. Louisiana is added to the states having committees on mouth hygiene and public in struction. There is also a dentist, Dr. Fred Ratzburg o f Shreveport, representing den tistry on the State Board o f Health. At present the fo llo w in g states have members: Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, M ich igan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia and Louisiana. D uring the past year D r. T . Wallace Sor rels, president o f the Oklahoma State Dental Society, has been serving as a consultant to the state department o f health in an unoffi cial capacity. T h rou gh him, the dentists o f the state are interesting the state department o f health in establishing a bureau o f mouth hygiene. It is hoped that Oklahoma w ill be the thirteenth state to have a fu ll time worker with the state department o f health. Alabama has recently appointed a Com mittee on M outh Hygiene and Public In struction o f the State Dental Society. Utah and South Carolina are now added to the states having committees on mouth hygiene and public instruction. *T h e D epartm en t o f D ental H ealth E d u ca tio n w ill b e g la d to re ce iv e item s o f new s alo n g the lin es o f edqcfttiojj in d en tal o r g en eral health.
In Appleton, Wis., a dental service fo r indigent children is supported by the Kiwanis Club, which pays the dentist, and by the board o f education and the city. Early in the school year, an examination is made o f the teeth o f all the school children, and reports are sent to the parents, urging them to take their child to their regular dentist. When parents are unable to do this, the child is treated at the clinic. A t the last meeting o f the Reno County (Kansas) Dental Society the county superin tendent o f schools and the local superin tendents spoke on the desirability o f making a dental survey and establishing a dental serv ice in the public schools. Plans are now be ing developed. T he Professional W om en’s Club o f M t. Clemens, M ich., is financing the dental service in the schools. Dr. R. W . Johnson, a member o f the Detroit Board o f Health has been loaned to M t. Clemens. He is making examinations, operating in cases o f urgent need, and lecturing in the grades. Natchez, Miss., has again opened its dental clinic fo r indigent children. Already St. M ary’s Orphanage has 100 per cent mouth corrections and the Red Cross nurses are urg ing other schools to compete fo r this honor. Dr. W . R. Davis o f Lansing, M ich,, dental director o f tr ■ state board o f health, recently met the meintvrs o f the Tri-C ounty Dental Society, heaM, officers, members o f school boards and ■ inerintendents o f schools in the various town, to formulate plans f o r employ ing a fu ll-ti’ ie dentist in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties. Although Hawaii is far away from us geographically, it is not far from us dentally speaking. An interesting dental health pro gram is being carried on in the Territory. A full-tim e dentist, employed by the Board o f Health o f the Territory at Hawaii, works fo r three territorial institutions. On the ad visory committee o f the department o f public instruction, there are three dentists. There are also fou r full-tim e dentists and twenty dental hygienists, with a supervisor, who are employed in the Territory. The department o f public instruction furnishes the supplies and transportation o f equipment in the dental program , while the dentists pay their own traveling expenses and furnish their own hand instruments from their salaries.
2.
3. 4. 5. 6.
W H A T I T HAS D ON E A
7.
D e m o n s t r a t io n
The Visiting and Instructive Dental H y gienic Clinic has been to the fo llo w in g towns: Danvers, Peabody, Westboro, Andover, Wrentham. “ Communities having once availed them selves o f this service invariably request a return visit or establish their own dental clinic. Hundreds o f school teachers and nurses who have come in contact with this project endorse it unhesitatingly.” A R epo r t
C o n c r e te
o f
C lin ic
E x a m p i .e
a t
D an vers—
1925
Fifteen hundred pupils were examined fo r dental attention— children from first to eighth, grades. Notices o f w ork needed were sent home. A public meeting was held at which the second grade staged a play— “ T h e Bad Baby M ola r” — and the first grade gave a toothbrush drill. Number odontexesis (clea n in g), 521; schoolroom talks, 39; toothbrush drills, 4 3 ; (fifteen-minute talk given with each drill) ; newspaper articles, 4 ; conferences (school teachers, e tc.), 10; public meetings, — ; health plays and lectures in schools, • — ; slide lecture on the importance and care o f teeth, — ; number movie theaters— ; dental films shown, 3 ; places posters shown, 35; number times Massachusetts Department o f Public Health films shown, 4. Danvers has had this clinic fo r three years, and they are getting splendid results. It
C an
W H AT THE
D o
t h e
Sa m e
f o r
C O M M U N IT Y
Y ou
M U ST DO
T h is clinic is run at cost, usually from $40 to $50 a week, depending on location o f town. This amount covers all necessary expense to the community, except tooth pow der or brushes, which w ill be furnished at cost. T he community must: 1. Guarantee and assume responsibility fo r
8.
175
operating the clinic and pay each week by certified check. Secure livin g quarters— not to exceed $7.00 per week. Transfer clinic equipment from express office to location o f clinic and back. Furnish suitable quarters fo r the clinic. Assume legal responsibility fo r cleaning and examining children so treated’ Cooperate with hygiene council and state health officials in advertising clinic and its purpose. I f possible, assign assistant to the hy gienist— someone fam iliar with local conditions to help with the children and lectures. Arrange fo r hall in case o f public meeting. D E N T A L H Y G IE N E R E P O R T
T H E PR O M O TIO N G IEN E
OF
OF THF, W E L F A R E AND
M A T E R N IT Y
AND
HY
IN F A N C Y
The act fo r the promotion o f the welfare and hygiene o f maternity and infancy, passed by Congress, N ov. 23, 1921, which is popu larly known as the Sheppard-Towner Act, makes available to the states that w ill raise a similar amount, federal funds to aid in reducing maternal and infant mortality and promoting the health o f mothers and infants. At the close o f the fiscal year 1925, all states except Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maine and Massachusetts were cooperating under the provisions o f the act. A report o f the dental hygiene activities taken from the bulletin on “ T he Promotion o f the W elfare and H y giene o f Maternity and Infancy,” published by the U. S. Department o f Labor, Children’s Bureau (Publication No. 156) is as fo llo w s : “ Dental attention given to preschool chil dren was reported in connection with the general physical examination o f children at conferences in most o f the States in which dental examination was mentioned as in cluded in the maternity and infancy work. Dental conferences or clinics were reported by 15 States, and more than 13,000 children were given attention at a total o f 330 such conferences. In Pennsylvania assistance ir\ this phase o f the work was given by a divi sion o f the State department o f health which regularly devotes most o f its attention to dental care f o r children o f school age.
Full-time dentists or dental hygienists were
176
The Journal of the American Dental Association
reported as on the staffs o f only two States. In the other States reporting dental con fer ences or clinics the w ork was done by den tists volunteering- their services or employed fo r short periods o f time. Frequent mention was made in State reports o f the generous cooperation o f local dentists when child-health conferences were held in their communities. In Virginia, especial emphasis was put on dental hygiene work, 2,033 preschool children having been reached during one six-month period. Dental care during pregnancy and the nursing period has not as yet been given the attention which is admittedly desirable. H ow ever, the importance o f care o f the teeth is emphasized in prenatal conferences and lit erature dealing with prenatal care.” F IE L D N O TES* Nebraska has a Committee on Oral H y giene Education, o f which Dr. F. F. W hit comb o f Omaha is chairman. There are now thirty-eight states with committees on mouth hygiene and public instruction. Louisiana is added to the states having committees on mouth hygiene and public in struction. There is also a dentist, Dr. Fred Ratzburg o f Shreveport, representing den tistry on the State Board o f Health. At present the fo llo w in g states have members: Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, M ich igan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia and Louisiana. D uring the past year D r. T . Wallace Sor rels, president o f the Oklahoma State Dental Society, has been serving as a consultant to the state department o f health in an unoffi cial capacity. T h rou gh him, the dentists o f the state are interesting the state department o f health in establishing a bureau o f mouth hygiene. It is hoped that Oklahoma w ill be the thirteenth state to have a fu ll time worker with the state department o f health. Alabama has recently appointed a Com mittee on M outh Hygiene and Public In struction o f the State Dental Society. Utah and South Carolina are now added to the states having committees on mouth hygiene and public instruction. *T h e D epartm en t o f D ental H ealth E d u ca tio n w ill b e g la d to re ce iv e item s o f new s alo n g the lin es o f edqcfttiojj in d en tal o r g en eral health.
In Appleton, Wis., a dental service fo r indigent children is supported by the Kiwanis Club, which pays the dentist, and by the board o f education and the city. Early in the school year, an examination is made o f the teeth o f all the school children, and reports are sent to the parents, urging them to take their child to their regular dentist. When parents are unable to do this, the child is treated at the clinic. A t the last meeting o f the Reno County (Kansas) Dental Society the county superin tendent o f schools and the local superin tendents spoke on the desirability o f making a dental survey and establishing a dental serv ice in the public schools. Plans are now be ing developed. T he Professional W om en’s Club o f M t. Clemens, M ich., is financing the dental service in the schools. Dr. R. W . Johnson, a member o f the Detroit Board o f Health has been loaned to M t. Clemens. He is making examinations, operating in cases o f urgent need, and lecturing in the grades. Natchez, Miss., has again opened its dental clinic fo r indigent children. Already St. M ary’s Orphanage has 100 per cent mouth corrections and the Red Cross nurses are urg ing other schools to compete fo r this honor. Dr. W . R. Davis o f Lansing, M ich,, dental director o f tr ■ state board o f health, recently met the meintvrs o f the Tri-C ounty Dental Society, heaM, officers, members o f school boards and ■ inerintendents o f schools in the various town, to formulate plans f o r employ ing a fu ll-ti’ ie dentist in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties. Although Hawaii is far away from us geographically, it is not far from us dentally speaking. An interesting dental health pro gram is being carried on in the Territory. A full-tim e dentist, employed by the Board o f Health o f the Territory at Hawaii, works fo r three territorial institutions. On the ad visory committee o f the department o f public instruction, there are three dentists. There are also fou r full-tim e dentists and twenty dental hygienists, with a supervisor, who are employed in the Territory. The department o f public instruction furnishes the supplies and transportation o f equipment in the dental program , while the dentists pay their own traveling expenses and furnish their own hand instruments from their salaries.