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MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE DENTAL SERVICES
During the year an increased amount of treatment was provided;
the number of fillings inserted for the under fives showing
particularly a considerable increase over the previous year.
Five nursery schools and nursery departments of infant schools
were inspected during the year and follow-up treatment was also
provided for some children from the Junior Training Centre for the
mentally handicapped which had also received an inspection. As is
usually found in such patients, the general level of oral hygiene was
very poor, resulting in a high prevalence of established gum diseases.
In the patients treated, the management problems were not so severe
as to preclude treatment without recourse to general anaesthesia and
they were taken by minibus to the Walmer Road Centre for the purpose.
A talk on dental health education illustrated with a film, for
the mothers' club at Walmer Road Centre, was well attended. It is
hoped that the appointment of a dental auxiliary to the Borough's
dental service will result in an extension of such activities, and
will also enable greater use of preventive applications of fluoride
solutions to the teeth of under fives to be made. Fluoridation of
the Borough's water supplies is still delayed.
Nursing or
expectant
mothers
Children
under
five
1969
1968
1969
1968
No. of appointments 195 164 1,463 1,634
No. of attendances: By appointment 137 118 1,052 1,176
Other 4 Nil 11 19
No. of patients given first
inspections during year 34 34 472 526
No. of patients above found to suggest 32 33 250 263
medical treatment
No. of patients above offered treatment 27 33 244 260
Visits for treatment: First 41 34 232 248
Subsequent 82 65 435 576
No. of treatments given:
Fillings 108 6l 424 189
Teeth extracted 19 36 81 26
Patients X-rayed 9 9 1 8
Prophylaxis (patients) 21 23 21 30
No. of courses of treatment completed 29 14 183 244
No. of patients supplied with dentures
(F.U. or F.L) first time 4 Nil
No. of patients supplied with other
dentures 4 6
No. of dentures supplied 10 7
1969 1968
Total sessions in year (combined) 122.1 143