The result, from memory, that one in four adults have at least one decay did not surprise me.

I recently visited a local dentist to polish a front tooth. I was happy to pay the charge for the service.

I thought while I was in the chair, I might ask what he thought about a tooth that had lost a filing, thinking it was just a casual observation on the dentist's part. He said $400 (big hole).

Up out of the chair, thanks very much, “gives me something to consider” was my reply.

It is no wonder the nation is fulll of “decay” with these kinds of exorbitant dental charges.

How come the survey didn't ask what  the reason was the nation had this problem with their teeth?

Could the answer be that they just can not afford or justify the exorbitant charges that dentists demand?

My recollection is that dentists have always been among those at the top of the heap in their charges. I remember my mother in the late 50s having to pay off her dentist's account for us kids.

To limit the dentist “getting at you”, parents of today paying for their children's dental hygiene will have to insist with a firm hand to their children they brush their teeth morning and evening after meals and get off the sugar, or else suffer the consequences later on.

I wish I had taken the advice of my mother, who knew best.

There is nothing more boring than sounding like a tourist brochure but Yackandandah is charming, quaint, beautiful, has the best pie shop in the North East, a couple of good pubs, great coffee shops, an excellent Visitor Information Centre and a fantastic Folk Festival.

It is not usually smothered in tourists like Beechworth or full of tourist shops selling Ned Kelly replicas and stoneware pottery.

Yackandandah also has an avenue of ancient oak trees which drop showers of acorns down with equal impartiality on the locals strolling up to buy their morning loaf of bread and have a yarn at the bakery, or the tourists sitting drinking cappuccinos.

But a word of caution to tourists – acorns can be dangerous!

To the sure footed they are easy to slip on if you are not careful, or to people such as I who use a mobility aid trying to negotiate them because they impede your travel.

Thank you Jeryl Watson (The Border Mail, March 21) for your letter in praise of the cover piece written by Nigel McNay about Keith Marshall.  

I too am always abuzz when I find an article written by Nigel as he is a wizard at discovering and then conveying that information in a thoughtful, deep and heartwarming narrative with a charming, sometimes off-beat, turn of phrase. It is wonderful that we have a reporter of his talent on our local paper, I hope that he continues to write locally for a long time and bring us more stories told in his unique manner.