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urged to bring their young children at the first signs of any
dental defect, when conservative treatment can be carried
out successfully. Many children under two years of age
have been treated and advised to return periodically for
examination.
At the routine inspections, 71 children attended for
examination, and 62 were found to require treatment ;und
37 were treated at the Centre.
Janet H. M. Sutherland.
The routine inspection of toddlers, which was com—
menced in 1930, was extended in 1931 by the engage—
ment of a second dental surgeon attending an additional
weekly session. Owing to the inevitable over.lapping
of the Borough Council and the County Council in
dealing with the children of 3 and 4, which results from
the present division of functions, it has been difficult
to organise the inspections satisfactorily.
A further obstacle has been the prevalent fallacy
that . the milk teeth . do not matter. Notwithstanding
these difficulties, some improvement in the attendance
of the children has been effected and there is evidence
of a much readier appreciation by parents of the value
of early dental inspection and treatment. The proposed
adoption by the L.C.C. of improved methods of
notifying the Borough Councils of children newly admitted
to school will somewhat facilitate the keeping
of our records.
Mr. F. Reginald Bate, L.D.S. (R.C.S.), who has
undertaken the second weekly dental session commenced
on the 16th April, 1931, furnishes me with the following
statistics and comments: —
Sessions held, 32, of which 11 were Gas Sessions.
Children attending routine inspections, 208, of whom
148 were found to require treatment. 114 of
these children were treated, the remaining 34
failing to re.attend for treatment.
Children referred by Medical Officers and Health
Visitors, 49, all requiring treatment and making
162 subsequent attendances.