Biography
Biography: Garth Pettit
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to gather information to fulfill a mission: “Prevent Oral Diseases in Children”. In mid-1996, five years after retiring from a lifetime in general dental practices in Australia then in England then back in Australia, the author returned to general dental practice, because his second granddaughter, aged 3 years, had been diagnosed with mild tooth decay in an upper front deciduous tooth. That is why and when his mission began. He became the District Dental Officer for East Arnhem Land in The Northern Territory of Australia in January 1997. He was delighted with this appointment, because working with schools, parents, teachers, children and adults, he would be in contact with people he considered important for him to fulfill his mission: “Prevent Oral Diseases in Children”. He was advised by his superiors that there was no funding available for research, but he had their permission to research for his project “Prevent Oral Diseases in Children”. His project soon became choosing between the 3,500 year-old “Brush Your Teeth” instruction and his new oral hygiene instruction “Paint Your Mouth”. The author chose the submission title, “Paint Your Mouth” versus “Brush Your Teeth”.