Los Banos Rotary Club History
Dental Consultant Tells of Work With School Children

The teeth of our school children are in better condition than those in any other school in this county – thanks to the continued interest and unceasing vigilance of school nurses Miss Elizabeth DeFerrari and Mrs. Paul Halstead, and the capable and cooperative work of the two local dentists.

Also, a larger percentage of the local school children have been immunized against communicable diseases than in any other school in the county. That statement was made to members of the Rotary Club Tuesday noon by Miss Velma b. Hammond, dental health education consultant, of the Merced County Superintendent of School's office. And Miss Hammond should know. A graduate in dental health from the University of San Francisco and University of Minnesota, Miss Hammond has personally examined the teeth of practically every school child in Merced county. She has made two complete inspections of the local grade school children this year.

Miss Hammond states that 70 per cent of the eighth grade children in the local schools show evidence of dental decay or have teeth that have been filled. This percentage, which the layman might consider surprisingly high, is actually lower than for student groups of similar age in any other school in the county, and must better than the national average of approximately 90 per cent.
As for immunization against diseases, Miss Hammond stated that 98 per cent of local children have been immunized, compared with as little as 20 per cent in some schools. The immunization program, particularly of pre-school age children, has been conducted here for many years under supervision of Miss DeFerrari. In some other schools the program has been underway only a short time.

Miss Hammond paid high tribute to the work and cooperative attitude of the local dentists, stating that in many communities the dentists are prone to neglect or discourage dental work for the younger age groups.
The speaker told briefly of her work in the schools, assisting teachers in the instruction of dental hygiene, personally instructing class groups in the importance of tooth brushing, and in examination of each child's teeth. She even demonstrated, with the aid of a jumbo-size set of false teeth and giant size tooth brush, the proper way to brush teeth to insure the removal of food particles after each meal.

Commenting on dental caries (decay) in general, she said she first became interested in dental hygiene during the early part of World War II, after reading that out of some two million draftees, some 188,000 men were rejected because of bad teeth. Health authorities, alarmed at such a situation, conferred with the American Dental and Medical Societies and in 1944 a national dental hygiene program was started in the high schools. The success of that program has resulted in a national health and dental program being undertaken in all grammar schools.

Miss Hammond emphasized the fact that while the schools have accepted a personal responsibility for the health and dental care of the children, the first and primary responsibility still remains with the parents, to see that the health practices taught in school are carried out at home, and to establish, by example, good health practices that the young child will quickly imitate.
Commenting briefly on the topic of fluoridation, Miss Hammond said that fluoridation of water supplies is recognized as the greatest discovery yet made in the prevention of tooth decay among children. Sodium fluoride, when present in community water reduces dental decay by as much as 60 per cent when children have had its benefits continuously from birth through eight years of age. Cost of fluoridation of the average community's water supply varies from 5 to 12 cents per person a year, she said, a ridiculously low price for the benefits derived.

Miss Hammond also emphasized the importance of a good, nutritious diet, and warned of the dental dangers of too much sugar and candy, and the importance of brushing the teeth after every meal.

The speaker was introduced by Judge D. O. Germino, who outlined the work Miss Hammond is doing in the county schools and complimented her especially for the tremendous job she is doing in her chosen field.

Attendance Awards

William, Woo, club president, back home again after his wedding and honeymoon, presented attendance awards to three members. Manuel Calderon received a 3-year pin for three years perfect attendance; Joe Silva a 6-year pin; and A. P. Machado an 8-year pin.
Woo also announced a special Christmastime program for the coming week, and said it would be the last meting of the club until January 8. he also hinted that with a double holiday coming up he would appreciate a perfect attendance at the party next Tuesday – and backed the gentle threat with the comment that any member who didn't show up could expect to made a $20 donation to the Kiddeis' Christmas fund if and whenever he did attend a club meeting again.

December 14, 1951

---