New Britain herald., 1921-10-13
SELECT SOLICITORS'
 FOR TEETH fOdb'
Marvellous Results of Dental Su-
 perYision Shown by Letter

A whirlwind drive for the amount needed to complete the sum of $500 needed to establish a dental clinic in this city was started this morning and Will be continued until Saturday night. twelve solicitors started out this morn Ing to make the rounds of the city soliciting contributions for the clinic. They are as follows: Rev. Michael Mai cite, Mrs. Alfred Thompson. Mrs. J. H. kirkham, Mrs. A c. McKinnie, Mrs. G. T. Kimball Mrs. Howard Parsons, Mrs. Kenneth Sloper, Mrs. William Rattenburg, Miss Margaret Foster, Miss Marjorie Crowell, Miss Dorothy Pen field, Miss Elsie Collingswood
 Fifteen dollars was added to the fund when the headquarters on West Main street opened this morning.
 The following letter has been sent out to various fraternal organizations in the city:
 Oct. z, 1921. Dear Friend:
 Fathers and Mothers nowadays, as you know do everything in their power to take care of their children's teeth. They have even the first ones filled and strengthened This assures better teeth for their children in after life. | It can safely be said that nine out of every ten children in the city of New Britain are in need of dental at tention and should be taught how to care for their teeth. Almost eight out of every ten of the citizens of New Brit ain have irregular or crooked teeth, which could have been avoided If, as children, they had received proper treatment.
 The story of what Bridgeport has done, for the teeth of it's 16,OOO children is an interesting one. It approprlates annually $40, ,OOO for this work and the results have been satisfactory above all ] hopes Decay has been reduced one third. Failures to pass school examlna- tions have been reduced one- half-a startling gain in efficiency. The death rate of the children from scarlet feVer, measles and diphtheria has been reduc- ed more than 70 per cent. because the infection has been cleaned out of their ! mouths. During the influenza epidemic of l91e | the death rate of Bridgeport was the | lowest of any city of similar population | in the country.
 | New Britain, as yet, has made nc effort at all in this line. Yet, beyond ! a doubt, it is a constSuctive work that will accomplish more for health and comfort, and efficiency, than any other one thing the city could do. Dr. Osler, I a famous medical man. has shown tha' more diseases are brought about by neglected teeth than by any other cause Of school absences, 4O per cent
 are caused by tooth decay. 1 What splendid thing it would be Il
 every little boy and girl in New Brit ain could have such attention. And yet, it is possible. even if the parents l are too poor.
 f@ yen, of course, ,srealize the importance | of such work here, and have read ln the papers of the proposed dental clinic and dental education, which we hope te have for the children of this city. i. Will you help us to start our clinic ] We know that you will be glad to have 1 a part in this work, and we assure vol that your subscription, whether nlarg'
 or small, will be iVeatly appreciated l Kindly send your check to ". s
 Howe, treasurer, 3S Trinity St.! New l Britain.
 l Very truly, yours,
 1 For the Committee.