DENTAL HYGIENIST BILL
Senate Bill No. 108
1. The present school hygiene law requires school medical and nursing
service: this bill is an amendment to the present law and would permit, but not
require the addition of the services of a dental hygienist.
2. The addition of a qualified dental hygienist to the school staff in commu-
nities or groups of communities of suitable size (10,000 population or over) is
desirable because
(a) dental defects constitute the most prevalent physical de-
fects among school children.
(b) a trained dental hygienist is more likely to detect such
defects in their early stages than is either the school physician
or nurse as at present trained;
(c) a dental hygienist will educate children in mouth hygiene
and proper diet to stimulate growth of second teeth.
3. The dental hygienist would assist the teacher, not supplant her.
presence of the dental hygienist in the school system would not alter in any way
the room teacher's relationship towards dental or any other kind of health teaching.
The
Neither could this legislation be interpreted as thrusting upon school committees a
new subject to be taught: the matter would be left entirely optional with them.
MASSACHUSETTS CIVIC LEAGUE, INC.
HAYmarket 2102
3 Joy Street, Boston
