The Sub-Professional Phase

The migrant ships which brought our forbears to Nelson sometimes carried with them surgeons and clergymen, upon whom often fell the task of relieving pain in its many forms, not the least of which was dental pain. Ships which had fewer than 40 passengers aboard were not required by law to carry a surgeon and, in these cases, the ship's master or his first mate was responsible for such rough dentistry as could be rendered.

Dentistry before the 1880s in Nelson was still at a primitive level of development. In fact dentists were scarcely distinguishable from other artisans and training was by apprenticeship only, as in any other trade. Essentially, dentists extracted teeth, a service also provided by chemists, doctors, blacksmiths and anyone else with strong wrists. No local anaesthetics were available and the only drill in use was operated by hand. Toothache was often treated at home with laudanum or alcohol, and halitosis was a major problem. A little repair work was carried out by the early dentists, but they were mostly tooth-pullers, who also made expensive sets of false teeth from ivory, gold, extracted human teeth or porcelain.

One interesting feature of the early dentists was that they tended to be occupationally versatile. A significant number were also chemists who distributed drugs and pills between extractions. This practice became more difficult following the introduction of registration for both dentists and chemists in 1880. One of the most interesting of this group was JW Tatton.

JW Tatton

John William Tatton was born in Cheshire, England, in 1821, and graduated in medicine at University College Hospital, London. In conjunction with a Dr Streatham he established the great Northern Hospital at King's Cross, London. Owing to ill health he was advised to leave England, and he came out to New Zealand as surgeon on the ship Camilla in 1858. He had two children, Cecilia, born in 1858 in the Bay of Biscay, and Arthur William, born in Nelson in February 1861. He beganpage 9

JW Tatton. (Copy Collection, Nelson Provincial Museum, C2643)

page 10to practise dentistry almost immediately after his arrival in Nelson, as the following notice from the Colonist in 1858 announces:

'Dr Tatton begs to announce that he has Opened a Store for the sale of pure and unadulterated drugs and Chemicals. (Direct from the Apothecaries Hall, from which he has made arrangements to receive a constant supply). Dr Tatton has commenced his operations in Practical Dentistry. Artificial teeth supplied, from one to a complete set, on reasonable terms. Stoppings and extractions also performed. Children's teeth regulated. Hours of attendance, 11 am to 4 pm Haven Road.

Having had many years' experience in practical dentistry he intends combining it with the above business. Artificial teeth from one to a complete set on reasonable terms. Stopping and extraction also carried out.'

Tatton had set himself up as a chemist and dentist in a building on Haven Road, near Saltwater Creek Bridge, where he had his druggist store and laboratory. Tatton was one of the first dentists in the country to light his rooms with coal gas, and to use it as a source of energy in manufacturing dentures and bridges. Tatton also succeeded in making his own nitrous oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas, in the 1870s, well before it came into common usage.

From Johnston's High Hopes we know that JW Tatton was not only a very versatile dentist and chemist, but that he also involved himself in mining, undertook ore analysis and manufactured pigment from chromite. His eldest son, Arthur, also a dentist, continued in his father's attempts to establish a mining industry based on the Mineral Belt.

He was involved in the Dun Mountain Company and was an advocate for numerous schemes in the town's development. From McAloon's Nelson: a regional history we learn that, following the hanging of the Maungatapu murderers in October 1866, Alfred Saunders and John Tatton obtained the heads of the executed men and made plaster casts of them. The pseudo-science of phrenology, whereby it was maintained that personal characteristics could be discerned from the shape of a person's head, was in vogue among the literati of Nelson at that time.

JW Tatton and Son moved to the corner of Selwyn Place and Trafalgar Street and, in 1888, demolished their surgery and built themselves a fine new building, as noted in the Colonist of 29 November 1888:

'On account of the increase in business at the dentistry establishment of Messrs Tatton and Son, of Trafalgar Street, these gentlemen have decided to pull down their present building and erect a much larger one. The frontage to Trafalgar Street will be 37 feet, and to Selwyn Place 80 feet for the main building. The lower portion will consist of two large waiting rooms, surgery and workshops and a spacious hall'.

That building still stands today, and is one of the few buildings erected in that era to continue to grace Trafalgar Street.

JW Tatton died in 1891 and we read the following in his obituary in the Colonist:

There was scarcely a single mineral discovery, but the late Dr Tatton sought to make it profitable. His services were frequently sought for assays, and his means were always readily devoted to further such discoveries. He was well known throughout the Province, and he was well esteemed in the community'.

Two other dentists practising in Nelson during this early period were a Dr Sinclair, and W Wallis, a surgeon dentist practising in Bridge Street.

The Colonist of 16 June 1884 reported that an action was brought by Dr Sinclair against a Mr Crewdson in the Magistrates Court to recover the balance due for a set of artificial teeth. Mr Harley appeared for the plaintiff and Mr Fell for the defendant. The defendant had paid Dr Sinclair three pounds and, the charge for the set being 21 pounds, the plaintiff now claimed 18 pounds. The defendant said that he had permitted the cast of his mouth to be taken, and afterwards had tried the teeth, but had never agreed to give twenty guineas and, indeed, had insisted that he would not. The Doctor said that he never made a set without first agreeing as to the price.

His Worship, having heard all the evidence, said he was of the opinion that the defendant had clearly committed himself to the order and that, as there was nothing to show that the work was not well done, or that the price was extravagant, he would give judgement for the plaintiff, with costs of two pounds eleven shillings.

As to Mr Wallis, we note from the Nelson Examiner of 7 December 1859 that he was practising in Bridge Street, next to Aitken's Store:

'Mineral Teeth fitted, from one to a complete set, without the extraction of roots or any painful operation. Decayed teeth filled. Teeth scaled and extracted'.

Semi-Professional Phase

From about 1880 major technological innovations revolutionised dentistry throughout the western world, and these were soon taken advantage of in Nelson. The most important was the introduction of the engine operated foot pedal, which enabled dentists to drill teeth and fill them on a large scale, and surpassed the old hand-held drill. At about the same time a new adjustable dentist chair became available, increasing the range of operations a dentist could perform. Conservative dentistry was made more feasible by the introduction of cheaper and improved filling materials such as guttar percha and various amalgams. Gold, however, continued to be used, as it was a long term material and the old dentists were skilled in its use.

Vulcanite rubber became available at this time, which helped bring about an improvement in denture construction. It was cheaper and lighter as a base for false teeth than the older carved ivory or metal bases. The availability of coal gas at this time, as a source of heat and energy, meant dentists could carry out a greater range of metallurgical work, using gold and other metals, for the construction of complex bridge work. Finally, dentistry benefited greatly from the innovation of nitrous oxide. Direct control of pain was now possible, and the range of operating possibilities greatly increased.

These various technological advances enabled dentists to become more highly skilled operatives, dentistry became more profitable and the esteem in which the profession was held was raised. The first Dental Act was passed in 1880, by which time there were about 50 dentists practising in New Zealand. By 1901 there were 282 registered and by 1905, when the New Zealand Dental Association was founded, there were 464 registered dentists.

Arthur Pitt, Member for Nelson City, was instrumental in promoting an amending Dental Bill in 1904 in the Lower House with TKS Sidey. The purpose of the bill was to provide for registration of the profession and it led to the establishment of a high standard of conduct and professionalism, and greater protection for the public. It introduced matriculation as a page 13prerequisite for undertaking the dental course, which was to be at the University of Otago in Dunedin.

The Dental Degree and the Dental Association

The New Zealand Dental Association was formed in 1905, with H Rawson as its first President and Arthur Hoby as secretary. This new Association's aims were to encourage diffusion of knowledge in the dental sciences and to promote the honour and interests of the Dental Profession.

Dunedin, with its association with the Medical School, was chosen as the site for the new Dental School, which opened in 1908. It was initially proposed to grant two types of qualifications in dentistry, a certificate or diploma, and a degree course. Control of dental education was now under one centralised body, the University of New Zealand. The Batchelor of Dental Surgery had been introduced in 1907. Prior to that time, aspiring dentists had had to travel overseas to obtain an acceptable level of training. The journey for training was usually to Philadelphia or Michigan in North America, to Ireland, or to Guy's Hospital in London.

A Nelson Branch of the New Zealand Dental Association appears to have started meeting in May 1925, which is the earliest record that we have from the old minute books. At that first meeting Messrs Squires, W Hoby, Shain, Tatton, Dodson, Parkes and Dodds were present. These meetings were held in the members' homes and, apart from the business of the association, one of the members always presented a scientific paper. These must have been very convivial meetings, as the minutes always concluded with such remarks as 'the business of the meeting being concluded the members spent a social hour with the host in the refectory' or 'this concluded the business of the meeting which adjourned to sup at the President's festive board'.