26 March 2014

History of Oral Health and Services

The preservation of oral health has come a long way from the black teeth of Elizabethan England representing their prestigious status, to the tooth removal ceremonies proving manhood http://www.just-teeth.co.nz/dental-care-advice/History+of+Dental+care.html.
 

The evolution from chew sticks 3000 BC to the concept of the first toothbrushes   made in Japan in 1223 was introduced into Europe through cultural trade with China in the mid 1450’s.   William Addis, in 1780 mass produced his version of the toothbrush, bone handle and bristles taken from cold climate pigs

Evolution of the tooth brush
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Toothpaste took on many forms as it evolved within cultures and countries around the world each with their own unique herbs and recipes.  Initially most were in powder form sold in a jar or tin.

 

Colgate began mass producing the first toothpaste in a jar in 1873. http://inventors.about.com/od/dstartinventions/a/dentistry_2.htm . 

The collapsible toothpaste tube as we know it today was invented in 1892, however the tubes were lead.  Plastic tubes began evolving in 1975 with many combinations of plastics and metals being trialled over the next 15 years, in the early 1990s most manufacturers rapidly changed to the completely plastic tube.

Fluoride was initially introduced into toothpaste in 1914, although not commercially sold until 1959.

The onset of World War 1 in 1914 saw a focused change to the way in which oral health was dealt with, many young recruits requiring extensive dental maintenance to meet fitness criteria to serve.  All recruits were issued with this standard toothbrush (below) and a tube of toothpaste.

http://www.kapitimuseum.org.nz/virtual_exhibit/vex7/58481E1C-0C70-4A8A-8BED-910516432079.htm

Images of war time dental routines and services can be view at http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/30586/wartime-dentistry-military-tooth-brushing-1917

NZ school dental service

Sir Thomas Anderson Hunter, K.B.E post war (1921) became a founder of the New Zealand School Dental Service for primary school children.  Hunter saw this as suitable career for women to fill.  However many of his dentist counterparts were dubious of women’s capabilities in these roles, also anti-state control of the dental industry.  In 1923, Hawke’s Bay was the recipients of the first of 25 school dental clinics set up around the country.

Following the 1935 election, the first Labour Government led by Michael Joseph Savage  came into power.  This change of government saw the implementation of state welfare, and the passing of the Social Securities Act 1938 bringing a rapid increase in access to health care, free in-school dental care plus more Dental Nurses to service the increasing population into the schools. 

I vividly remember my first encounters with the dental nurse in the late 1960’s, nothing else smelt quite like the dental clinic alas it was only a once a year visit to our little rural school of 40ish.  However, her presence was quite intimidating in her bright white fitted uniform and head veil held down with white bobby pins and yes the red cardigan (was it red to hide the blood from the murder house?).

A government subsidised scheme in 1947 saw the extension for dental care with dentists servicing secondary students to age 19 (McCaul, 2011).  

Another government initiative following the campaigning for healthy eating and looking after your teeth was from 1937-1967  the half pint, daily issue of free milk for all in schools with the intention of increasing children’s calcium intake for teeth and nutritional health.  937

 Image retrieved from http://thenewzealandjournal.blogspot.co.nz/2010/04/free-milk-in-schools-programme-in-new.html

The election the fourth Labour government 1984-1990 saw major transformations of the social and economic reforms, alas “Rogernomics”.  Government departments were decentralised disbursing control to private and regional welfare providers (District Health Boards.)

 

Fluoridation of drinking water

Hastings had another oral health first in 1954 with the introduction of fluoride into community drinking water systems.  Following the Royal Commission of Inquiry into water fluoridation in 1957, resulted in local authorities acquiring control of fluoridation at community level through referendum.  By the late 1970’s 54% of the population were exposed to fluoridated drinking water.

   
 

References

 

Aimer, P. (2012).  Labour Party – Fourth and fifth Labour governments: Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.  Retrieved from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/labour-party/page-4

Hoskin, S. (2005).  A career to get your teeth into : Betty Hammonds, dental nurse. Retrieved from  http://www.pukeariki.com/Research/Taranaki-Research-Centre/Taranaki-Stories/Taranaki-Story/id/600/title/a-career-to-get-your-teeth-into-betty-hammonds-dental-nurse

Intelligent Dental (ND). About toothpaste tubes made of metal.  Retrieved from http://www.intelligentdental.com/2011/09/18/about-toothpaste-tubes-made-of-metal/

McCaul, H. (2011). New Zealand School Dental Service. Retrieved from http://www.just-teeth.co.nz/dental-care-advice/History+of+Dental+care.html

McLintock, A.H. (1966) Hunter, Sir Thomas Anderson, K.B.E.: An encyclopaedia of New Zealand 1966.  Retrieved from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/hunter-sir-thomas-anderson-kbe

Ministry for Culture and Heritage (nd) Social Security Act passed. Retrieved from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/from-the-cradle-to-the-grave-parliament-passes-the-social-security-act

Ministry of Health, (2011).  Fluoridation history. Retrieved from http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/fluoridation/water-fluoridation/fluoridation-history

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (nd). Social welfare and the state: Rogernomics: Retrieved from http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/whatson/exhibitions/sliceofheaven/exhibition/SocialWelfare/Pages/Rogernomics.aspx

New Dental & Oral Health Therapists (nd) A century of oral health care: Early last century New Zealands’ oral health was in pretty bad shape. Retrieved from http://www.nzoral.org.nz/c/A-Century-of-Oral-Health-Care

New Zealand Milk Broad, (1978).  New Zealand’s milk in schools scheme 1937-1967.  New Zealand Milk Board Wellington. New Zealand. Retrieved from http://www.moh.govt.nz/notebook/nbbooks.nsf/0/9FCAF39CD5D18B0FCC257A05008083EC/$file/Milk%20in%20schools.pdf

Rendall, M. (2012). Georgian gentleman: William Addis, and the story of the modern toothbrush.  Retrieved from http://mikerendell.com/william-addis-and-the-story-of-the-modern-toothbrush/

Schmidt, A. (2012). Story:  Dental Care.  Retrieved from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/dental-care/page-3

Schmidt, A. (2012). Story:  Dental Care.  Retrieved from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/30586/wartime-dentistry-military-tooth-brushing-1917

The New Zealand Journal, (2010).  The school dental program in New Zealand. Retrieved from  http://thenewzealandjournal.blogspot.co.nz/2010/04/school-dental-nurse-program-in-new.html

Wikipedia Foundation Inc. (nd) New Zealand general election 1935. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_general_election,_1935

brush image. Retrieved from.  http://www.kapitimuseum.org.nz/virtual_exhibit/vex7/58481E1C-0C70-4A8A-8BED-910516432079.htm

 

 

 

 

 

Oral Health – Are you making an informed decision?

For parents of a new born baby, there is always a lot of advice from a multitude of sources on what is best for baby. One topic that is sometimes forgotten is oral health until the infant starts on solids and teeth begin to appear. 

Oral health is a social issue in New Zealand despite the Ministry of Health’s programme providing free dental facilities for all children from one year until the eighteenth birthday.  Oral health can potentially have an impacting effect on baby’s quality of life.

Therefore, oral health is an interesting topic to investigate why children’s oral health is declining in New Zealand.  Fluoridation of the drinking water supplies has become topical with various reports in the Herald News. 

I find this topic of interest as when I was young; we lined up each morning for a fluoride tablet after brushing our teeth because we lived in a rural location with un-fluoridated water supplies.  Despite enduring the fluoride tablets daily and having a very healthy diet with no junk foods, I still ended up with fillings in seven of my twenty primary teeth.   Yet my eleven year old son reared in Napier with un-fluoridated water (which I have recently become aware of) and no fluoride protection except toothpaste and a healthy diet has just lost his twentieth cavity free primary tooth and currently all his secondary teeth are filling free.