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DENTAL TREATMENT.
The following report has been submitted by the Municipal Dental
Officer which shows a steady advance in so short a period in this
branch of the Council's work:—
I have the honour to submit the second annual report of the
work carried out at the Dental Treatment Centre during the year
1922.
During the year Miss Helden, the dental nurse, accepted an
appointment as a Health Visitor, and Miss Lambert was appointed
in her stead, commencing duty on May 8th, 1922. As the work has
considerably increased, it was found necessary to appoint a second
dental mechanic. A temporary appointment was made, and
Mr. W. B. Monger commenced duty on May 8th, 1922.
Unfortunately, one has to record that very little headway has
been made in dealing with the problem of dental disease in the
child of pre-school age. It is necessary to bear in mind the following
facts. Generally, it is from the third year onward, when the temporary
dentition is fully erupted, that the child's teeth begin to
decay. Although children are examined in the Maternity and Child
Welfare Centres and Toddlers' Clinics, usually they are too young to
need much attention, and they are but few in comparison with the
number in the Borough needing treatment. To deal with the
problem in any satisfactory manner it is necessary that the children
be congregated, in order that they may be inspected. Such a
condition does not exist, and the child from 3—5 years may only be
found in the home. With the present staff, a house-to-house inspection
is impracticable.
On the other hand, as it has been found that parents pay more
attention to chair-side demonstrations than to lectures, mothers and
adult patients generally are instructed in oral hygiene, and so it is
hoped that, by thus educatively overcoming parental lethargy, and
popular prejudice as to the importance of the temporary dentition,
the child in turn may be benefited. Parents whose children have
undergone dental inspection and treatment are desired to bring