London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Edmonton 1945
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Edmonton]
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We were asked to treat a child attending Bowes Road School, N.14, and
she has had regular treatment throughout the year.
Welfare: The Maternity and Child Welfare Department have referred
four cases during the year. In all there have been 57 attendances. Two have
been transferred to the School register, two have defaulted, one has refused
treatment and two will be called for regular treatment early in January.
(g) Dental Defects.
DENTAL REPORT.
1945.
A summary of the work of the Dental Clinics will be found set out in the
table of statistics.
With only two Dental Officers at work in the Borough it was only to be
expected that the Dental Scheme would suffer in consequence.
Comparison with the corresponding tables for the last normal year prior to
the war shows a big drop in the numbers of children inspected and treated,
viz.: —
1938 Inspected 13,937 Treated 5,760.
1945 Inspected 10,582 Treated 3,701.
In addition, the provision of Orthodontic treatment has a considerable effect
upon these figures.
In spite of this and of six years of war-time conditions, there does not appear
to have been any deterioration in the dental health of the school children in
general judging by the relative percentages referred for treatment: —
1938 approximately 75 per cent. of those inspected.
1945 approximately 60 per cent. of those inspected.
The high number of "Specials" is partly attributed to the return of children
from evacuation areas where they had received little or no treatment throughout
the war years.
The conservation of the permanent teeth by removal of caries and insertion
of fillings occupies by far the larger part of the Dental Officers' time, and in
this we endeavour to maintain as high a standard as possible. This involves not
only the removal of caries but also extension to eradicate all danger areas as far
as possible, and all fillings are lined with an insulating cement.
From an analysis of some 2,300 children in an effort to find the relative incidence of caries to various age groups, I found the following ratios: —
| Age. | % referred for treatment. |
|---|---|
| 50% | |
| 6-7 | 63%-66% |
| 8-10 | 58%-60% |
| 11-12 | 50%-51% |
| 13-14 | 65%-76% |
| 15 | 41% |
| 16 | 61% |
| 17 | 51% |
| 18 | 83% |
The table shows a sharp rise from 5 to 7 years, followed by a progressive
drop in incidence rate between the ages 8 to 12 years. There is a very sharp rise
again at 13 to 14 years, followed by the lowest incidence at 15 years which is
succeeded by varying rates at 16 and 17 years. The 18 year group is a much
smaller group and the very high percentage may be out of proportion in
consequence.
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