Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-29
Dentists Believe in Compulsory
Attendance.
WOULD SAVE THE teeth
Proposed Establishment for Public
School Children.
MEET TOGETHER
Convention Holding Sessions in the
Dental Hall of George Wash
ington University.

| Delegates to the fourteenth union meet
! ing of the District of Columbia Dental
! Society and the Maryland state Dental
! Association. which is in session here this
| week, have declared firmly in favor of
| the establishment of free dental clinics
| in connection with public schools. They
| think such clinics would be the means of
| largely preventing the decay in children
! teeth. 1t is the general idea of the den
| lists that attendance upon such clinics
| should be made compulsory. Competent
dental surgeons would be employed to
| conduct the work.
The convention was called to order in
| the dental hall of George Washington
| University yesterday afternoon by DIR. A.
| d. Weakley. chairman of the joint COM
mittee on arrangements. DR.. Charles w.
| Needham, president of George Wash
| ington University. welcomed the visitors.
Following Dr. Needham DR.. j. T. Nc
Clenahan, president of the District So
ciety, made short address, to which Or.
]. w. Smith of the Maryland society re-
sponded. After a short session the con-
vention adjourned until the evening. when
a number of papers were read. Among
the guests at the evening meeting was
President Emeritus Eliot of Harvard Uni
versty.
Morning Given to Clinics.
This morning was given up to clinics by
the invited guests attended by all the
members of the two societies. At noon
the members of the Psi Omega fraternity
met at luncheon at the Arlington.
Between the lunch hour and the reas-
sembling of the convention for the after
noon session the members OF the two
societies were photographed on the steps
The afternoon session was occupied
with discussion of the clinics that had
been held in the morning. Many of the
delegates will attend the dinner given
by the University OF Pennsylvania alumni.
Tonight number of papers will be read.
More clinics will be held tomorrow morn
ing.
Dental Clinics for the Public.
The principal matter before the con-
vention at it's opening session yesterday
afternoon was the resolution for the es-
tablishment of dental clinics. offered by
DR.. Richard Grady of the Naval Acad-
envy, Annapolis. DR.. Grady's resolution,
which was unanimously adopted, sets
forth that this meeting Is Of the opinion
that dentists should educate their pa
tients i'm oral cleanliness, and impress
upon them the fact that when the teeth
have been properly filled and are in
nedltOy COnultlOn tDen comes tie re-
sponsibility upon the patient for keeping
them so; that dental clinics can be es-
tablished With the patients paying a
nominal fee for services received; that
school authorities and health boards
should include the examination OF the teeth
in school inspection, and provide instruc-
ton in the care of the mouth and teeth;
that dental and medical schools should
instruct their students in oral and dem
tai hygiene. and the important part 1T
has in helping to maintain health, and
that free popular lectures on medical
subjects offered to the public should in
clude dental hygiene. as oral and dental
conditions are factors in tuberculosis and
the spread Of infectious diseases through
the neglect of the mouth and teeth
Dr.. Eliot Welcomed.
DIR. Eliot was given a cordial recep-
ton. While he modestly declared that
one occupying the position of president
emeritus of university should be al
lowed to drop out of notice, he's ma e a
brief speech in support of DR.. Grady's
resolution.
Speakers at the evening session were
DR.. r. +. Ii. Snyder Of Baltimore. DR..
Dudley n Carpenter, L. S. N. and DR..
Lyman Keller, chief of the drug division,
Department of Agriculture