H.—3l

The adults were not examined in the same detail as the children. A number of mouths were inspected, however, and the dental condition was found to be very bad. Pyorrhea is especially prevalent, and numbers of teeth appear to have been lost from this cause. The following figures indicate the extent to which the teeth were affected by caries. (The usual classification is used —viz. : Class I, hard tissues only involved ; Class 11, pulp involved, but alive ; Class 111, pulp dead, supporting tissues of tooth may or may not be involved ; Class IV, crown destroyed, periodontitis or alveolar abscess present.) Total number of teeth examined, 887 ; total number of teeth carious, 223 (Class I, 186 ; Class 11, 6 ; Class 111, 23 ; Class IV, 8). The details of the examination are shown in the accompanying table :—

Dental Examination of Maori Children at Maungapohatu, Urewera Country, May, 1936.

2. Diet. The foods most eaten are — White bread and scones made in camp ovens. Pork, usually boiled with vegetables as a stew. Potatoes, thinly peeled and cooked with meat, or boiled separately, in which case the water is drunk. Sowthistle (puwha), cooked with meat and potatoes, or boiled separately, is eaten in quantity throughout the year, especially in springtime, when it is very plentiful. The water in which puwha or other food has been boiled is seldom discarded. Other foods commonly eaten are — Maize, as " pop-corn "or steeped for several weeks in water and then boiled. If the crop is good, maize becomes a prominent feature of the diet. Oatmeal: The making of porridge is fairly common. •Birds are not as plentiful as in the past, so they are eaten " while the supply lasts." After plucking and cleaning pigeons are preserved in fat, but tuis are eaten fresh. A small bird commonly snared is the pihipihi or " wax-eye." The process of its preparation is limited to plucking, and it is then fried in deep fat.

65

Age Number of Number of in Pitioi r'Bi™ Mesen- oh nT ie nf Teeth present. Carious Teeth. Number bex - i ears ... . teric Arcbps Articulation. Remarks. ivumoer. and ™ie. ran. Arcnes. Perma- Decidu- Perma- DeoiduMonths. nent. ous. nent. ous. • Group A — 1 .. M 14 6 x x .. Good . . Normal .. 28 .. 5 2 .. M 14 6 x xx .. „ .. Perfect .. 28 . . 2 3 ... M 14 0 x x x ,, . . Normal . . 28 . . 1 .. One carious 4 . . M 13 8 .. .. x „ .. ,. 28 .. 3 5 .. F 13 10 x x x „ .. Glass I, close 28 . . 4 6 .. F 13 4 x x x „ . . Normal .. 28 . . ] . . One carious 7 ... M 12 7 x xx x „ .. Class I .. 27 .. 5 8 .. P 12 1 x x x „ .. „ 28 . . 3 . . '.[ 9 .. M 11 5 x x x ,. . . Normal . . 28 . . 0 Perfect 10 .. M 11 9 x x x „ .. „ ..28 .. 6 11 .. F 11 5 x x x ,, . . Class I .. 28 .. 1 . . One carious. Group B — 12 . . M 11 4 x x x „ .. Normal ..25 2 1 2 13 .. F 11 3 x x x „ . . Right, Class 27 1 1 1 II; left, normal 14 .. M 11 2 x x x „ .. Class I .. 18 8 1 4 15 .. P 11 2 ,, .. Close ..14 8 2 3 16 .. P 10 8 x x x „ .. Normal 19 5 2 5 17 . . P 10 4 x x x „ . , „ 25 1 1 1 18 .. M 9 8 x x x „ . . „ 12 12 1 8 19 .. P 9 0 x x .. „ .. Class I . . 20 3 2 3 20 .. F 8 4 x x x ,, . . Normal 12 12 0 7 21 .. M 8 1 x x x „ .. „ 10 14 0 10 22 .. P 7 7 x .. x „ .. „ ..11 12 0 8 23 .. P 7 7 x x x Very good „ 12 12 0 2 24 .. F 7 4 x x x Narrow Lingual oc- 10 12 4 7 elusion right side 25 .. M 7 0 x x x Good .. Normal 8 16 0 6 26 .. F 7 0 x .. x „ .. „ .. 8 14 1 10 27 .. M 6 9 x .. x „ . . „ .. 8 16 0 13 28 .. M 6 8 x .. x ., .. „ .. 6 16 2 11 29 .. F 6 4 x .. x „ .. „ 10 14 1 6 Group C— 30 . . M 6 4 x .: x „ .. ,, .. . . 20 .. 5 31 .. F 6 1 x .. x „ . . Class III .. 1 18 0 13 32 .. M 6 0 x .. x ,, .. „ .. 2 18 0 2 33 .. F 5 3 x .. x „ .. Normal .. 4 20 0 11 34 .. F 5 1 x .. x „ .. „ .. 4 20 0 13 35 .. M 5 0 x .. x „ . . Class III .. .. 20 . . 16 36 .. M 4 6 x .. x „ .. Normal . . . . 20 .. 6 I