View report page

138
The following is a summary:—
101 Sessions have been held.
1,253 Total attendances.
106 Permanent teeth filled.
228 Temporary teeth filled.
32 Permanent teeth extracted with local anaesthesia.
1,319 Permanent teeth extracted under nitrous oxide gas.
1,232 Temporary teeth extracted under ethyl chloride.
175 Scalings.
The duties also include the fitting of dentures, dressings and minor
treatment.
374 new patients have been seen during the year, and an average of
12.4 has been maintained per session. Fewer sessions than in the previous
year help to account for the slight decrease in some items, though it
may be said fairly that our figures are quite up to average.
I have been anxious to find out the results of the early extraction
of the majority of temporary molars in our children, following an
examination of similar cases at Guy's Hospital, and a list was made
out last summer of children, now from 12 to 17 years of age, for whom
extractions were made before school age. In spite of our efforts, only
four attended, however. It is interesting to note that three of the four
showed signs of overcrowding of the permanent teeth, directly due to
the early loss of the temporaries. But none of the four showed any
sign of having been treated by the school dentist: caries was well advanced
in each mouth. There can be no doubt that had these children had
dental care at the school clinic the signs of overcrowding would have
been easily recognisable and treated by the school dentist quite easily.
Both Dr. Hutchinson and myself have been struck by the number of
young mothers who attended for dental treatment, a very patent sign
that an intelligent interest in their welfare is being taken. This, of
course, is due entirely to the propaganda in the welfare clinics, and
without which treatment would be put off until the last extremity.
C. HAMMOND WILLIAMS,
L.D.S., R.C.S. (Eng.).