Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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111
Residential
Establishments
service practitioners gave assistance. These statistics are additional to those in the preceding table.
1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ordinary treatment sessions | 645 | 572 | 524 | 449 |
General anaesthetic sessions | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 |
Number of children inspected | 6,781 | 5,648 | 5,783 | 4,635 |
Number found to require treatment | 2,996 | 2,333 | 2,355 | 2,045 |
Percentage requiring treatment | 44.2% | 41.3% | 40.7% | 441% |
Attendances for treatment | 4,688 | 4,179 | 3,791 | 3,427 |
Temporary teeth extracted | 1,097 | 1,128 | 920 | 950 |
Permanent teeth extracted | 390 | 271 | 172 | 173 |
Temporary teeth restored by fillings | 1,202 | 1,058 | 854 | 699 |
Permanent teeth restored by fillings | 1,916 | 1,555 | 1,547 | 1,365 |
Fillings in temporary teeth | 1,354 | 1,116 | 976 | 746 |
Fillings in permanent teeth | 2,128 | 1,715 | 1,708 | 1,515 |
Completed scalings | 914 | 700 | 583 | 346 |
Temporary dressings, etc. | 709 | 745 | 511 | 455 |
Local anaesthetics for extraction | 830 | 832 | 666 | 580 |
Local anaesthetics for conservative treatment | 133 | 71 | 53 | 113 |
General anaesthetics | 183 | 163 | 272 | 332 |
Cases oompleted | 2,524 | 2,357 | 2,363 | 1,911 |
Sodium
Fluoride
treatment
and
Dental
Hygienists
The three experimental dental hygienists engaged in 1949 on the request of the
Ministry of Health continued throughout 1951 to work under the close supervision
of dental surgeons in twin surgeries. Their main activity was, as in 1950, on work in
connection with topical applications of sodium fluoride; and revisional examinations
of children so treated in 1950 were extensively advanced. Until the re-examinations
are completed in 1952-3 final figures will not be available, but a pilot survey towards
the end of 1951 indicated substantiation for the claim that topical application of 2%
sodium fluoride does materially retard the progress of dental caries. In the mouths
of the children treated with sodium fluoride and re-examined, a formidable amount
of caries requiring operative correction was found, however, and a warning note
must be sounded that sodium fluoride is not a complete preventive of this condition.
In addition to their work with fluoride, the hygienists assisted treatment by instruction on oral hygiene and by scalings and polishing of teeth. Dental Hygienists—Attendances and, Treatments
1950 | 1951 | |
---|---|---|
Sessions | 1,370 | 1,499 |
Number invited to attend for first treatment | 2,389 | 4,188 |
Number invited to attend for subsequent treatment | 2,851 | 4,232 |
Attended—first treatment | 2,109 | 3,365 |
Attended—subsequent treatment | 2,662 | 3,936 |
Treated—first treatment | 2,104 | 3,359 |
Treated—subsequent treatment | 2,660 | 4,033 |
Discharged—treatment completed | 1,834 | 3,121 |
Discharged—failed to complete treeatment | * | 104† |
Gum treatments | 365 | 395 |
Scalings (cleanings) | 3,122 | 3,986 |
Polishings (of artificial restorations) | 1,823 | 2,553 |
Oral hygiene instruction | 2,562 | 4,655 |
Sodium Fluoride: | ||
First application | 658 | 1,220 |
Second „ | 597 | 1,170 |
Third „ | 559 | 1,102 |
Fourth „ | 494 | 1,074 |
* Figures not available
† Figures for June-December