Medicine: Black Picture

If everyone in the U.S. over the age of 15 had his teeth fixed, the bill would come to $3,860,000,000 ($47.19 a head). Such was the estimate which Dr. Raymond M. Walls, chairman of the American Dental Association’s economics committee, presented to the dentists’ annual convention in Houston last week. Other dismal figures on U.S. teeth:

> According to A.D.A.’s past president, Dr. Arthur Hastings Merritt of Manhattan, the incidence of tooth decay today is as bad as it was 100 years ago, even though dental care is better. Said he: “People spend $1,600,000,000 a year on tobacco, and this is $200,000,000 more than they spend on all medical care, including surgery and dentistry.”

> Said new A.D.A. President Wilfred H. Robinson of Oakland, Calif.: “I am reliably informed that 1,200,000 new dental cavities will occur during the next twelve months in the teeth of the 1,800,000 men now in service. It would take more than 2,000 dentists to do the job.”*

> Since one out of five Army selectees is turned down for bad teeth (he needs only six uppers and six lowers which meet), Lieut. Commander Charles Raymond Wells, chief dental officer of Selective Service, told dentists they would soon be called on to help fix up men for the Army. In a short while, he said, the Federal Government will earmark funds for paying the bills of men who cannot afford them.

* Number of dentists in the Army: 2,900. Number of practicing dentists in the entire U.S.: 70,000.