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and that 248 maternity patients attended of their own initiative,
without being referred from centres. In this the influence of
the Propaganda Department may be traced.
In March, 1925, the two scales of fees, the one for Maternity
and Child Welfare and Tuberculosis patients, and the other for
Public Health cases were brought into line with the scale for
dental benefit under the National Health Insurance Act, and one
scale adopted for all categories. This change has greatly simplified
accountancy and administration. The feeling, too, has
disappeared that existed between a maternity patient who was
charged the lower Maternity and Child Welfare fee, and a mother
who was not a maternity patient, who had to pay the higher
Public Health scale.
In tables III and IV- figures are shown which indicate the
work carried out since April, 1921, when the Centre was opened.
The numbers treated show a steady increase during the five years
in those categories classed as Public Health; i-e., men, women
other than maternity patients, and young girls 14-20; while during
the last three years the numbers of maternity and tuberculosis
patients have remained steady. It is difficult to find a reason
for this. Many who are referred to this Centre by the Medical
Officers and Health Visitors fail to attend, and many who attend
for examination do not proceed with treatment. Financial
difficulty is met by assessment under the appropriate Act, and
yet there are many who, while agreeing to the reduced fee, failed
to carry on with the treatment. It can only be assumed that
these patients will not add to their condition of stress the fear
and discomfort of dental treatment. Be this as it may, many
maternity patients do return for treatment eventually, and regret
that they did not take advantage of the reduction of fees offered
them.
With the toddler, dental disease increases as he gets older,
so that by the time he is four or five years old, his temporary
molars are in an unsaveable condition. The view taken by the
average parent is that the teeth are all right if they do not ache,
and that there is no need to worry over the temporary dentition
simply because it is temporary. In counteracting these ideas it