Evening star., 1946-05-21
Improved Dental
Care for Areas
ndigent Urged
Survey Finds Hospitals
Poorly Equipped to
Discover Infections
By Harold B. Rogers

ny 7orolo b. Rogers
More adequate dental service
should be developed for the INDECENT
and low income groups of the Ma
tlonal Capital area, which is suffer-
Ing from a shortage of dentists and
lack of office space.
In making this principal recon-
for improvement in the
dental situation here, the metro
politan health and hospital survey
today suggested several remedies.
1t also charged too little atten-
lion was being paid by hospitals
to the possibility that dental in
fections may be important as q
source Of organic disease.
In general, hospitals here ARE
poorly equipped and inadequately
supplied with dental personnel"
the report said. 1t pointed to the
practice Of leading military and big
city hospitals elsewhere, which give
major Importance to elimination Of
dental diseases as an essential" in
dedtIIleIlC OF patlentS.
Sees Funds Unspent.
The report, based on data from
a consultant, Brig. Gen. Leigh C.
Fairbank, retired a dentist now
in private practice, also declared
only a small part of the money
which the Community Chest allo-
Gates for dental treatment for the
INDECENT has been spent.
Funds for dental service for the
INDECENT or semi-indigent should be
assigned for treatment given in the
dental schools, and In the out
patient dental clinics of hospitals
and health centers, and other clinics
serving the INDECENT, the report
says.
Provisions also should be made to
care for the "semi-indigent" on a
part payment basis in selected
clinics, such as the dental colleges,
the surveyors recommended. A rea-
sonable percentage of the fees
should be given to the dentists
working for such patients, the re-
port said.
Cooperation Urged.
Other recommendations:
The Metropolitan Health Council
of the Council of Social Agencies,
for which the survey was made,
should seek cooperation of the den-
tai societies of the metropolitan
area, looking toward a more COM
plete dental health program" to
meet the needs of the people, and
guarantee the highest type of dem
tai service"
Adequate dental facilities should
be provided at Gallinger Hospital
and at Childrens, Episcopal. Provi-
dence and Freedmen's Hospitals for
both in-patients and out-patients.
for which Community Chest funds
may be allocated for dental care
of indigents.
Dental staffs of each hospital
should be increased by dentists who
may volunteer to give not less than
three hours of free service per
month for the care of INDECENT
patients in clinics Similar groups
should be provided on a volunteer
basis for all charitable institutions
to assure more widespread dental
service for the needy.
Dental societies should be invited
to collaborate with the Metropolitan
Health Council and the Community
Chests in development of volunteer
dental service for special groups.
Would Train Interns.
A program for instruction Of
dental interns should be developed
for hospitals in the whole area, and
funds made available for payment
of these interns. and for their sup
ervised training. Furthermore ade-
quate remuneration should be pro-
vided for young dentists to assure
the development of better dental
health facilities"
The Metropolitan Health Council
and the officials of the District of
Columbia, county and State depart
ments of health should formulate
a more comprehensive program of
dental health education" for the
whole National Capital area.
To help get facilities for such
expanded service. it was suggested
that the Metropolitan Health Coun-
Gil might prevail upon govern
mental agencies now possessing
large quantities of dental equip
ment and supplies to make avail
able the necessary equipment for
use in the local health agencies"
Stress was laid on the Importance
Of finding infection in teeth as a
possible source of more dangerous
diseases and eliminating it.
Pointing to the local hospital pic
ture here, on this factor. the sur
veyors said that only one hospital
reported an impatient" dental
service
Reports from "a clinics show that
last year the following numbers Of
patients were served: 1881 white.
62,531 colored and 24,446 mixed
groups. Eight clinics reported
visits for the year numbering s2,248
for white, 21,801 for colored and
14,247 for mixed groups.
GreenbeIt Asks Rotioninq
A netition Urging rationino of food