Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-02-04
Dental Unit Hits
Neglect Of Children
soys $4,000
Needy Cases
Go Untreuted
BY WILLIAM GRIGG
Star Staff Writer

The District Dental Society
charged yesterday that the
District Bureau of Dental
Health is so under financed
and under-staffed that it fails
to treat three out of four Of the
needy children for whom it is
responsible.
OF $1,000 children found by
the bureau to have decayed
teeth but no money for private
treatment, about $4,000 re-
ceived no treatment from the
Districts clinics, society Off
Gals said.
DR.. Richard G. Rogers, jr,
chairman of the Society's COM
mittee on dental health. said
these children were left without
help ito cope with problems Of
pain, infection, loss of mastic-
atory (cheWing) function,
speech impairment and the
handicaps of improper facial
development, and even diSfig-
urement often leading to emo
tional disturbances"
DR.. Israel Shulman, president
of the society, said the Dis
trict's penny-pinching on chill
dren'S teeth costs dollars later.
He said these children may
grow up afraid to smile, UNI
able to get work or disturbed
enough to turn to crime.
Criticizes Inaction
Can a girl with missing
teeth work as a waitress or
in any other job where she
must meet the public?" DR..
Shulman asked.
DR.. Shulman released the
text of a critical letter to Sam
uel Biddle, chairman Of the
Districts Public Health Advis-
DRY Council. The letter said, in
part, that the society appre-
ciateS that the Commissioners
annually proclaim Children's
Dental Health Week here-it is
next Week-but that the society
would appreciate it even more
if they did something about
children'S dental health.
ut is our UNDERSTANDING"
the letter said, that in the
past eight years, despite exist
ing conditions, many staff po-
sitions have been lost to the
Bureau Of Dental Health, which
is operating at it's best under
severe handicaps."
The letter said the staff re-
duction means that existing
dental equipment in the clinics
is not fully used.
DR.. Shulman explained yes
terday that the Bureau has lost
1917 staff positions since 1854
because frequently, when a man
retired or left, the job was
abolished. The Bureau has thus
lost one in five of its positions,
he said.
For several years a clinic at
Hart Junior High School went
unused because it could not be
stated, DR.. Shulman said. An
other of the Districts IA clinics
is now closed, he said, because
the man who ran it has taken
leave for an operation.
Twenty-siX staff members
need to be hired just to use to
the full the existing equipment,
he said, estimating this would
provide 40 per cent additional
service.
Copies Of the letter were sent
also to DR.. Daniel L. Finucane,
District director Of Public
Health, and DR.. A. Harry Ost-
row, chief of the dental bureau.
Says Data Accurate
DR.. Ostrow confirmed yes
terday that the figures used
by the society were correct and
that he has repeatedly tried to
get more funds for the bureau,
The bureaus current annual
budget runs about $400, 900. DR..
Ostrow said no substantial in
crease is now being planned by
his parent organization, the
Department Of Public Health.
He estimated that the res
toration Of the 1917 lost Jobs
would require $4,000. An ad-
ditional $4,000 a year would
be needed to pay for the 10
new dentists and assistants
called for by the District Dem
tai Society.
Mr.. Biddle said yesterday
that his advisory council will
respond to the Society's pro-
tests with a hearing In March