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207
The staff of the School Dental Service consists of three fulltime
dental officers. Therefore, each dental surgeon has over
9,000 children allocated to his care, and, unfortunately, this
proportion is more than twice as many as one dental surgeon can
inspect and treat efficiently each year.
Sir George Newman states that it is on the whole a wiser
plan to provide annual inspection for the continuous care of a
limited number of children than to attempt to deal with a larger
number by extending the period between one inspection and the
next.
The number of children whom each dental surgeon can
inspect and treat annually is approximately 3,500, and it is
therefore apparent that if every child in the Borough is to have
annual inspection, and treatment if required, the staff must be
considerably augmented.
It will be observed that the dental surgeons were able to
inspect only 66 per cent. of the children in the Elementary
Schools, which means that it will take at least 18 months to carry
out the complete inspection of all the children with the existing
staff.
Dental disease is the most prevalent of all diseases, and one
inspection and treatment in 18 months is not enough to reduce the
incidence of dental caries, as is shown bv a study of the following
table. As the aim of the School Dental Service is prevention,
it is, unfortunately, unable to fulfil its aim.

In 1027, when the scheme was confined to annual inspection
and treatment of certain age groups, 61 per cent. were referred for
treatment, but as more children were brought into the scheme
without a corresponding increase in staff the incidence of caries
gradually increased each year, until in 1933 it is seen that 11 per
cent. more children required treatment than in 1027. This Table
nroves that dental disease cannot be controlled unless there is
annual inspection and treatment of all the scholars.