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
East Ham 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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155
merit totalled 7,826. The number of children actually
treated was 3,285. "Specials" numbered 208; these are
cases of urgent treatment (toothache, etc.), referred by the School
Medical Officers or Head Teachers.
For statistical details see Table V.
Each child within the age-groups is dentally inspected once
a year. This being a good opportunity to get into personal touch
with the children, small talks are given to them, and every endeavour
made to win their confidence.
Teeth are saved wherever possible by fillings, and the necessary
extractions are done either by gas or local anaesthesia.
The regulation of permanent teeth is becoming more and
more an important part of the school dentist's work, and means
a great deal to the child in after life, not only in appearance but
by the ability to masticate properly. This work is done by judicious
extraction of permanent teeth or by the making of regulation
plates. Some very striking results have been obtained in the
past year.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE CENTRES.
Statistical details of the dental work in connection with the Maternity and Child Welfare Centres are shewn in the following table:—
| No. of Sessions devoted to Treatment | No. of Attendances | No. of Permanent Teeth | No. of Temporary Teeth | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | Children | Extracted | Filled | Extracted | Filled | |
| 83 | 450 | 494 | 582 | 93 | 658 | 120 |
| Total No. of Extractions | Total No. of Fillings | No. of Administrations of General Anaesthetics | No. of other Operations | |||
| Permanent Teeth | Temporary Teeth | |||||
| 1240 | 213 | 124 | 141 | 107 | ||
Two sessions per week are devoted to dental cases referred
by the Medical Officers of the Maternity and Child Welfare
Centres. These cases are children under 5 years of age and pre-