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50
The extractions were as follow:—
Temporary 131, Permanent 215 ; Total 346.
There were 70 extractions under a general anaesthetic
at the gas sessions (27 children, 43 mothers), relating to
20 children and 31 mothers as individual patients.
Twenty children and 4 mothers had extractions with
a local anæsthetic.
The fillings consisted of :—
Temporary 42, Permanent 12 ; Total 54.
Artificial dentures were completed in two cases and
22 other cases were in hand.
Extra work in connection with the provision of artificial
dentures for mothers and the desirability of instituting
a routine dental inspection of "toddlers" led the Council
at the close of the year to authorise the holding of a dental
clinic session every week instead of fortnightly. This
was duly approved by the Ministry of Health and came
into operation at the beginning of 1930.
Miss Sutherland's comments on the work are as follow:
The attendance has been maintained much the same as
in 1928. During the year arrangements for the provision
of artificial dentures for mothers who had had extractions
done at the Clinic, became imperative. The arrangements
previously sanctioned in principle were accordingly put into
operation and this new branch of dental treatment was
begun at the end of August. Twenty-four mothers were
on the list at the close of the year, two having had their
dentures completed—twenty-two were under or awaiting
treatment.
Owing to the large amount of additional work
necessitated by the inclusion of dentures and also the
dental inspection of children in the scheme of dental
treatment, it became essential that more sessions should
be held. Accordingly, arrangements were made to hold
weekly sessions next year (instead of alternate weeks as
at present), beginning in January, 1930.
A routine dental inspection of children of four years
of age is now being arranged, and steps are being taken
to bring the matter before parents of such children in
the Borough. It has been found that many children reach
school age in a very poor dental condition, and preventative
and conservative treatment at the ages of three and
four would undoubtedly result in better dental health
when these children reach the usual school age.