New Britain herald., 1921-10-10
TEETH FUND
 DRIVE BEGINS TODAY
Committee to Open Headquarters
 on West Main Street

The campaign for the $1,5O0 fund for dental clinic is launched of hclally in this city today. The empty storeroom in the Professional build
 ing has been secured for a headquar- ters and contributions will be accept ed there. Owing to unforeseen delays in getting office equipment installed it was found impossible to open the headquarters this morning as was first intended, but it is planned to have someone there every day from now on until the end of the week
 Contributions will be acknowledged in The Herald as soon as received
 In connection with the subject of Better Teeth, the following com munication from Dr. R. M. Griswold, acting superintendent of health, shows that in seven out of 15 schools ! more than half the children had de- fective teeth and in all but three schools out of the 15, 39 per cent or more had defective teeth.
 ! In view of the manifest interest 1 shown by the various charity and welfare associations of the city in I the proposed dental clinic, it may be well to know that in comparison with most other cities the showing of | New Britain is not favorable in the | matter of defective teeth among the
 school children.
 1 A survey of all the schools made
 n little more than a year ago showed the teeth of many children to be in
 a lamantableS condition, and the per centage of defective teeth fin all but one school to be very high, as will be seen from the, following record
 which shows the school, number of
 pupils, number having defective
 teeth respectively:
 Bartlett $50, 25s, 3e; smalley, SIS, I411, 51; East street, 1o36, 5s3, 56; Northend, 231, 4143, 62;p Stanley, 1855, go, 5S; Open Air, 1853, 20, 34; Rock
 we'll 2s4, 67, 24; Smith. 5ss, 377, l64; Monroe Street, so2S9, 152, 53:
 Nathan Hale, S67, 454 52; Camp,
 47o, 2Ss, 5s; Lincoln, 3s4, 1s1, Y; kosgood Hill, 127, z3,, I9; Old Bd ritt, 168, 72, AZ; Junior High, 1, 55, i17o, il. s.
 In q interview this morning on the l need of a denal clinic in this city, a local dentist made statement as
 follows:
 The most important time for look ing after the teeth is in early child l hood when the first teeth are crowd
 ed out by the permanent set. For
 tlls reason the teeth should be in- spected and cared for, because health
 is built up by teeth we'll cared for. | lott in, life, conditions which poison the entire sys-
 tenn inducing a great number of ills which tend to shorten life. Five ty.ars ago the city of Bridgeport staft- Led sa-syste esn gie,ie- iE its
 public schools and it's benefits have been remarkable. Absences in ahvestaflssdbcente Naers T T schools were reduced 40 per cent failures to pass for promotions were reduced 50 per centLa startling gain in school efficiency. ;. The death rate
 from scarlet fever, measles, dip theria were reduced more than 70 pei
 cent because decaying teeth ha6 heen cleaned out of the mouths ol
 these school children. During tho in, : ffaenza epidemic of 1918. the deatf ] rate in Bridgeport was lowest of any Csty or us pOpu1dIIOn III tue COuIftIyF@ due in large measure to increased resistance, to disease built up by ora : hygiene.
 The cylnic an ddental program pro osed here will bring about result similar to those in Bridgeport. The cumulative effects of these neg
 lected mouthsin childhood was show1 :. in the deplorable' condition of tn r young men throughout the country a = found by the draft boards-thousand a | Of otherwise able men were rejecte, y for military service because of neg y. Jected teeth. This condition coult
 have been avoided if these men ha, K had timely dental care in their youth Il 1t las been proven time and aSail IT that aflictions originating from in y fections of mouth have caused hloo, It poisoning, Inflammation of the brail X membranes, ear troubles and othe kindred diseases. Every dollar s1en
 in this cause is dollar we'll spent an.
 such clinics should be established fl
 schools in the name of public welfare
 It will be saved later in greater eff .. ciency.s better health and ! bette = teeth.