Silt,—One of the chief difficulties at present in providing proper
dental care for the many children and adolescents who require it is lack of sufficient dentists. This -is common knowledge, and is confirmed by the large number of advertisements appearing weekly for school dentists. There are at present unemployed in Great Britain some 65 German refugees with good dental qualifications. These are compelled to live miserably either on the charity of their friends or on public assistance. A dentist could treat (say) 7,000 children a year (25 a day on 28o days), so that between them the 65 could deal with 450,000 annually. This available contribution to our national well-being we are too proud—or too stupid—to accept.
Temporary registration should be possible for these dentists, as it has been for refugee doctor;. Government departments are sensible and sympathetic. Even the most convinced upholder of the theory that all erman refugees are congenital fifth columnists will scarcely contend that these unfortunate 65, if employed, would use their opportunity for r injecting Hitlerism instead of local anaesthetics, or for extracting secrets, stead of teeth, from their youthful victims. Presumably action is revented by the Dental Board or the General Medical Council in the opposed interests of the dental profession—certainly not of the nation's
th.—Yours faithfully, A. V. Him- House of Commons.
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