The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-12-21
30 Per CENT ARE PERFECT
LIZA Children in Graded Schools Found
to Have Defective Molars and BIZ
cuspids-Examination Declared to Be
Very Successful by Officials.
(By Mary D. Bradford.)

The examination Of the teeth of the
public school children of Kenosha, by
the dentists Of the city was completed
few weeks since, and the reports from
all the schools have been made out by
the principals and have been sent to
my Office.
Only the children in the grades, one
to eight inclusive were examined. The
results are as follows: Total number
examined, 2,400 Of these CSC or 1850
per cent. were found to have perfect
teeth, and to need no immediate dental
attention; and LIZA, or TIA per cent,
were found to have defects in their
teeth of more or less serious nature.
Of the children whose teeth were
found in good condition a large num-
Der had received dental attention, and
had been taught at home to care for
their teeth.
Since this was the first examination
OF this sort, no special form of report
had been adopted or recommended, so
that the principals who were called
upon to make the summaries were left
to their own judgment as to what to
give. Several have given very inter
esting and very significant details.
Principal Hanaman, Durkee school,
reports the number examined in each
grade, and the defects found in each
grade. Only the summary can be given
here:
No. pupils examined .............4 Alb
No. pupils with defective teeth 49,. 296
Cases of recommended cleaning 1896
Cases of recommended regulation. 40
Total number of defective molars.
found -. -. -. -. -. ...... .805
Total number of defective bicuspids.
found $685.. ..... ..........., 80
Total number of defective cuspids
round ..... III
Total number of defective laterals
found -. -. ....... oil
Total number of defective teeth. .967
Principal Randall, Balm school, also
gives valuable details, among which
the following are especially signifi-
cant:
The 459 pupils examined were found
to have 726 first molars defective; lat
pupils have 8, 4 and 5 teeth decayed,
and % have six or more teeth decayed
In the first grade where the age is
such that the only permanent teeth
the children have is the first or sixth
year molar, there are eight children
with both of these important teeth al
ready decayed.
In the Weiskopf school over "a per
cent. of the 25S children examined have
one or more decayed molars. In the
Columbus school, where 619 children
were examined, 314 or more than so
per cent. were found to have from three
to five teeth defective. Here again the
terrible condition of first or "sixth
year. molars, the most important teeth
in a child's mouth, was again demon
strated, over SIS per cent. of the chill
dren having either one or all four of
their molars decayed
These facts are sufficient to show
the need of the educational movement
which the dentists have started 1t is
time that something was done to bring
home to parents and teachers the i'm
portance of oral hygiene, or proper care
of the mouth and teeth.
The school authorities acted entire
ly within their perogatives when they
sanctioned the proposition of the den
lists and for these reasons: 1t is the
business of the schools to look after
the child s moral mental and physical
welfare. The physical is the basis of
the mental and to certain extent of
the moral life, that is healthfulness of
brain and nerve depends upon health
fulpess of body, of which the brain is
a part. Proper nutrition is the funda-
mental thing. There cannot be proper
nutrition unless there is proper masti-
cation or chewing of the food, this
means that good teeth are an absolute
necessity to health and efficiency.
This present movement, and the work
in hygiene being promoted in the
schools is an attempt to put within the
reach of the masses the knowledge nee
essary to preserve their natural teeth
in such form as to do efficient work
CARVER GRADE TROTTER.