School Dental Clinics were promoted as part of a progressive welfare state. The School Dental Service was started 100 years ago, prompted by concern about children with mouthfuls of shockingly decayed and infected teeth. Evening Post/Stuff Pam Shepherd, an outback school dental nurse with an unidentified young girl in 1960 at Wellington's dental training clinic at 266 Willis St. Having a filling done in a school dental clinic was a slow process. By 1980 nearly all primary and intermediate school children in New Zealand came under the School Dental Service, along with 65 per cent of pre-schoolers.

Source: Stuff October 08, 2021 18:56 UTC