View report page

14
The total of Staff, including the Orthodontic Consultant
now comprises six Full-time and four Part-time Dentists, repre
senting the equivalent of 7.3 Full-time Officers.
Inspections
The number of children on the register at maintained schools
within the Borough at the close of 1956 was 36,698. Including
an additional 44 free-place scholars at grant assisted schools
this represents a sum total of 36,742.
During the year 78.9 per cent. of the school population were
examined compared with 72.4 per cent. in 1955. Whilst the above
figure indicates a slight gain, the interval between successive
inspections in areas on the eastern side of the Borough has also
increased very appreciably because of the high acceptance rate.
According to recent returns some 7,134 children received no
examination during 1956, compared with 7,226 previously, indicating
little change since last year.
At those schools visited 28,962 were inspected and 14,370
(49.6 per cent.) referred for treatment, compared with 26,114
inspected and 12,874 (49.3 per cent.) referred in 1955.
In view of the present limitations relating to work which
can be carried out on temporary teeth, the above figure should
not be regarded as an index of the incidence of decay, which is
naturally appreciably higher. For practical purposes a mouth is
regarded as "functional" unless the case is actually referred
for treatment.
The results obtained from school inspections were as follows:-
Acceptance of Treatment 48.1%
Refused Treatment 41. %
Forms Not Returned 10.9%
Compared with last year this represents a rise of 0.3 Per
cent. in the acceptance rate, and a decrease of some 26.3 Per
cent. since the peak of 1949. The corresponding figure for 1937
was in the region of 57 per cent.
Acceptance Rate
As indicated above increased attention for children under
the N.H.I. Regulations has in the main been beneficial to the
School Service by removing the extreme burden of post war years.
If uniformly distributed this reduced patronage should, in theory.
allow for a higher standard of attention for those remaining.