The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-18
SAVE THEIR Teeth
Local Dentists Examine $500
Mouths of School Children.
Locate Cause of Disease
Among Topeka Youngsters.
FEW HAVE PERFECT Teeth
School Board Should Have Paid
Official Inspector.
This Is the Suggestion of Mem.
bers Dental Society.
few HAVE PERFECT TEETH

The examination of the mouths Of
approximately $500 Topeka school
children by members of the Shawnee
Dental society has revealed the fact
that failure to properly care for the
teeth is the cause of much i'll health
and backwardness in school work. The
condition found is no worse than is the
case in other cities; it is possibly bet
ter.
For the good Of the community"
the dentists each Tuesday afternoon
for a period of several weeks have
been inspecting the teeth of children in
the public schools. The tooth doctors
have closed up their own offices and
have been able to complete the III
spection in two or three schools ia a
single Afternoon. one man taking an
individual class room. No pupils
mouth has been inspected whose par
ents had not given their consent to the
examination.
The facts in each case have been lot
ted down on a special form and the -
forms after having been filled IN by.
tie dentist have been sent to the rar-
ents of the children through H. B. Will
son, superintendent of schools. The
name of no dentist appears on the
form.
One of the inspectors reported that
he found but one child out of thirty
exa mined at the Potwin school that re-
quired no alteration of any kind, Dnt
two out of twenty at the Harrison
school and two out of thirty at the
Lowman Hill school.
In some instances, however cleaning
was all that was necessary to put the
teeth in good condition. However,
some bad conditions of the mouth were
discovered. One small girl who still
hao her baby teeth had as many as
five ulcers which caused foul breath
and were impairing the health to a
marked degree.
Bad teeth are costing the school
board thousands of dollars each year.
it is claimed, as they are the cause of
delinquency. Figures show that about
| twelve per cent Of the pupils of the
grade schools in Topeka fail to receive
| romotion cards at the close of each
term. The average cost to the school
board for an individual in a year is
| last year 700 pupils failed to pass This
means that 1t cost approximately
$23. 100 extra to have the work. done
over by the pupils that should have
been finished.
| 1t is the hope of the members of the
Shawnee Dental association that the
board Of education will before many
months have elapsed see fit to employ
a dentist to examine the teeth OF
school children. and thereby save the
board money. and preserve the health
of the children.
Chicago is paying $4,000 a year to
expcrt t.entists to examine and rem>Hy
defective teeth. Facts" a dental
magazine published in that city has
the following to say in speaking OF
the Chicago plan:
Bad Teeth Cause Disease.
BAD teeth cause indigestion. ner-
ivousness, headaches, inattentfon to
tstudy resulting in failure to pass into
new grades. extra expense and often
incorrigible boys and girls. Many
parents are too poor to give proper
attention to the teeth OF their chill
1 dreD,
{! Many parents leave the care Of the
teeth entirely to the children and nd
thought OF them il given until an ache
starts. And when the time comes fol
the children to graduate, half OF
them or even more than that have
defective teeth. Some children have
, teeth in such condition that they arr
ashamed of them, but their pride ha,
developed with age. and It IL Otter
stoo late to remedy the evil that cOu1f