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109
improved, 5 showed no improvement, 3 lapsed, and 7 were still under treatment
at the end of the year.
Dental Diseases.—In the appendix will be found a detailed statement of the
treatment given to the teeth and mouths of the school children. Compared with the
figures for the year ending December 31st, 1927, the following facts are apparent.
"The admissions of new cases show again an increase; this year of 4,263 in
number; a corresponding increase is reflected in the total of attendances made for
treatment.
''The number of teeth extracted still remains high, but this number is falling,
and for a greater number of new cases a smaller number of permanent teeth was
extracted. This fact gives ground for hope that extraction of permanent teeth—
virtually a mutilation—will some day cease to be as it is to-day, the last resort of
doctor and dentist in their war against poisoning of the body by gross oral sepsis.
"As has been shown, each child treated must lose some 3 or 4 teeth, and one
of these may be a permanent tooth, but year by year more teeth are being saved by
conservative filling methods. It was naturally expected that an increase in fillings
would follow the rise in the number of new cases, but this increase was four times
as great as was expected in respect of permanent teeth, and twice as great as was
expected in respect of temporary teeth. The 'fillings per child' ratio has advanced
from .84 per child to .904 per child; in these figures there is no great 'appeal,'
but it indicates an actual increased number of 14,000 fillings. Thus, the work is
begun of preventing gross sepsis by early treatment.
"Last year the attention of the Council was directed to an increasing demand—
a very natural one—for 'painless dentistry.' The service has met this demand
largely, and continues to use anæsthesia freely. A separate statement has been
added showing the use of 'local' anaesthesia in 6,617 cases. Anaesthesia by injection
of suitable medicaments is coming to occupy an increasingly important
place in the practice of dental surgery, and in suitable cases is an expeditious, inexpensive
and effective means of abolishing pain—except for the momentary prick
of the needle. The scope is, however, very strictly limited; the familiar nitrous
oxide gas is infinitely more suitable for multiple extractions and in any cases where
there is suspicion of sepsis.
"Evidence from annual statistics and other sources tends to show that the
high tide of dental disease, with consequent chronic poisoning of the system is being
stemmed; for instance, in Deptford, Mr. McGraw, dental surgeon, observes that
there is a markedly lessened need for heroic and wholesale extraction, and a
greater need for small fillings, scaling and minor treatment.
Dental
deformity.
"In collaboration with Mr. William Ovey it has been possible to begin to collect
information concerning the problem of the deformed mouth, upon which it is hoped
action may ultimately be based. A simple analysis form was drawn up, and during
the year 1928 Mr. Ovey examined 3,081 children for the various orthodontic conditions
presented. A summary of these analyses is given below, grouped as boys,
girls, infants and mixed, with the results from two schools each for physical and
mental defect.
No. Exd. R.N. A.N. O.B. C.R. X.B. L.V. T.V. V. Total. Percent.
Boys 1,058 192 7 13 29 2 67 3 30 343 32.5
Girls 932 165 10 17 44 3 50 7 18 314 33.7
J.M. and Infants 753 70 7 17 9 2 19 3 6 133 17.7
P.D. 142 32 1 3 7 1 7 3 3 57 40.1
M.D. 196 39 10 3 20 1 14 1 14 102 52.0
Totals 3,081 498 35 53 109 9 157 17 71 949 30.8
Key to contractions.—R.N., Retro-normal articulation of mandible; A.N., Antero-normal
articulation of mandible; O.B., open bite; C.R., crowding; X.B., excessive over-bite (without
other defects); L.V., Misplacement; T.V., Rotation; V., other defects.
16479 H
Dr. A.
Livingston's
report on
the dental
scheme.