The sun., 1909-06-28
HALF A MILLION TOFIX TEETH
CHILDREN SEEKING WORK PA.
PERS SHOW BAD MOUTHS.

CHILDREN SEEKING WORK PA
PERS SHOW BAD MOUTHS.
Only IA Out OF 500 Examined Had Sound
Teeth-Miss Dorothy whitney and
Charles Lorins Brace InstiEate an
Examination by the Health Board.
The Bureau OF Municipal Research
makes public to-day the results Of GER
tain Investigations which II the bureau q
wishes be carried out will put into the
pockets OF New York dentists something
like $500. 900. The investigations have had
to do with the teeth Of New York school
children who have sought permission to
60 to work for wages this summer. The
investigations have been carried on at
the Department Of Health at the instiga-
tion of Miss Dorothy Whitney. acting in
behalf OF the Junior League. and Charles
Loring Brace for the Children's Aid So
ciety. The actual work OF examining the
teeth Of 500 boys and girls has been done
by Wallace T. Van Winkle. D. D. s.. under
the supervision OF DR.. Josephine Baker.
head Of the division Of child hygiene. and
Arthur S. Merritt, d. d. s., dentist in
charge of the Childrens Aid Society q
dental clinic at the Fifty third street
industrial school.
The children came from all over town
and were of all nationalities. They were
taken as they secured their work papers,
or mercantile papers, and their ages
range from II years to 10. OF the 500
children only fourteen had sound teeth.
and these needed to be cleaned. The
other children. the bureau says, must
either go without dental care. compro-
mise on an occasional crown or extrao-
tion or pay from IS, 900 to $40. 900 for treat
ment for the lot. which means from five
to ten weeks earnings Of the groups.
The report adds
aIf they are fairly representative Of
the rs, 600 that will want work papers
this summer either that army Of children
must go without attention or their families
or private philanthropy must pay out
The bureau says further that II the
children were to have the same kind OF
treatment that parents OF larger incomes
would see that their children had from
$50 900 to S4O0 900 more must be added to
these figures, representing avenue prices
instead OF tenement prices. The girls
have moro than their fair proportion Of
bad teeth.
There were 2.sOs unsound teeth in <5e
children. or these 2.55l could be saved
by dentistry. Gangrenous pups or pulps
so decayed that the roots were exposed
were found in 247 boys and 1852 girls
Only rs out Of the 500 had ever had any
dental treatment other than extraction.
AS to the cost. the report says that
would ~, much tasa 10 plapa nov form.
ing should lead large numbers o! recent
dental graduates OF unquestioned ef.
fioiency to volunteer to take special
interest in these work paper children.
SO far the results here given have been
reported to the Children's Aid Society
the Brooklyn Bureau Of Charities. the New
York Dental Council and various private
dspensaries. The New York Dental
Council has appointed committee to
enlist the cooperation OF dispensaries,
hospitals. medical colleges. school Off
cials and philanthropists toward insur-
ing comprehensive educational pro-
gramme TO prevent similar conditions in
future. 1t is also proposed to continue
more aggressively the campaign In behalf
of professional ethics among dentists
by prosecuting every dentist who is
guilty of malpractice. extortion or dis
honest treatment.
The Childrens Aid Society has offered
to equip dental clinic in fifteen industrial
schools il dentists will volunteer their
services, as is now the case at Bellevue
and in the West Fifty-third street school,
or II individuals will provide the money
to pay dentists. The Brooklyn Bureau
of Charities has offered to help children
to find dentists who will work at moderate
prices and to pay for the necessary
work for children whose parents are
unable to pay.
What is needed the bureau says. is
rather than reparative dentistry. There
is to be a dental exhibit in the fall to
further this. and an attempt will be made
to interest New York schools in tooth
brush parties" as was successfully done
in Brookline. Mass. where 1t was found
that many OF the children didn't know
how to use brush even II they had one.
II has already been found here In New
York that such parties interest adults.
At one Of the Children's Aid Society 8
schools a child who had taken home a
pennyItoothbrush came the next day and
wanted seven more. She explained that
her father and mother and the five men
| who work on the boat each wanted one.
At Miss Whitney's request the Bureau
of Municipal Research Is now visiting
Individual dentists, hospitals and dis
pensaries to find out just what present
resources are and which dentists will
take a special interest in the problem.
DR.. John W. Brannan is endesvoring TO
induce other institutions to follow Belle
vue's example and add attending and
consulting dentists to the professional
stats Of all general hospitals. 1t Is
pointed out that in Germany insurance
II e.