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72
Nursing Mothers.
Owing to the greater number receiving their treatment antenatally,
the proportion of mothers first inspected during the
nursing period continues to decline.
New cases referred were 55 compared with 66 last year.
Those seen during the first six months after their confinement
constituted 77 per cent. of the total number referred; the
remainder with infants between seven and twelve months received
mostly emergency treatment.
In addition to the above a large amount of treatment was
performed for those referred during the previous year.
Treatment.
As in previous years a substantial amount of treatment has
been of a conservative nature; there has also been a rise in the
number of dentures inserted.
One less satisfactory feature noted is that of those referred
from the medical side approximately 20 per cent. fail to present
themselves for dental examination when required to do so.
Attempts at following up such cases have been singularly
unsuccessful, and though a small minority attend at a later date
when toothache intervenes, there is, apparently, still a substantial
section of nursing mothers who, through ignorance or prejudice,
fail to avail themselves of existing facilities.
The Pre-School Child.
The total of the above children referred from Welfare
Centres and other sources was 305. This figure, whilst an
improvement on the previous year, is still below that recorded
during normal times, and it would seem, therefore, that war-time
employment undertaken by mothers still tends to restrict treatment
for this class of patient.
With the exception that fillings inserted were fewer, treatment
results compare quite favourably with those mentioned in
the last report. Full details are to be found in the ensuing
Table.