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Dental
decay.
17
The proportion of children found at medical inspection in a satisfactory dental
condition was 67.4 per cent., exactly the same as in 1932, and compared with 64.4
per cent. in 1931, and 62.9 per cent. in 1930. Details are set out below:—
Ago group.
1924.
1927.
1930.
1932.
1933.
Sound.
Serious
decay.*
Sound.
Serious
decay.*
Sound.
Serious
decay.*
Sound.
Serious
decay.*
Sound.
Serious
decay.*
Entrants boys 59.0 12.5 51.7 15.3 53.0 14.7 55.6 12.2 56.1 11.6
girls 58.4 12.4 50.7 15.2 52.2 14.9 54.7 12.1 55.3 11.7
8-year old boys 58.5 10.0 61.1 8.1 66.7 6.8 68.8 4.7 70.7 4.5
girls 58.0 10.2 60.9 8.3 65.4 6.8 68.8 4.7 69.9 4.4
12-year old boys 68.0 3.4 70.6 2.7 73.1 2.1 75.1 1.5 75.8 1.3
girls 70.5 2.6 72.3 2.3 75.3 1.6 78.0 1.1 77.0 1.1
All above age groups 62.1 8.5 60.3 9.3 62.9 8.6 67.4 5.8 67.4 5.8
* Serious decay = four or more carious teeth requiring treatment.
A comparison of the result in each age group shows, however, that there has
been definite improvement in all except the 12-year old girls.
The percentage with serious dental decay has also remained at precisely the
same level, viz. 5.8. Although the entrant infants reveal a very much higher
percentage of dental defect than the other groups, their* condition has shown
definite improvement during the past few years and this improvement has continued
during the present year.
Enlarged
tonsils and
adenoid
growths.
In the statutory age groups 6,816 children were referred for treatment of enlarged
tonsils or adenoid growths; this is 4.1 per cent. of the children examined, compared
with 5.1 per cent. in 1932, 6.6 per cent. in 1931, 6.7 per cent. in 1930, and 7 in 1929.
These nose and throat conditions are found chiefly among the entrant group, many
of the children in the older groups having already been dealt with before their
examination in those age groups. The percentages requiring treatment for these
conditions were: entrant boys 7.6, girls 7.3; 8-year boys 3.0, girls 3.6; 12-year
boys 1.5, girls 2.1.
There has been a continued drop in the percentage of children referred for
treatment for enlarged tonsils and adenoid growths.
The proportion of those recorded as having enlarged tonsils and adenoid
growths who were referred for operative treatment was 38 per cent., compared with
43 per cent. in 1932.
Otorrhœa
and hardness
of hearing.
Otorrhœa was noted in 1,332 children, or .8 per cent. of those examined, which
is the same percentage as in 1932, and compares with 1 per cent. in 1931 and 1930.
The highest proportion of these cases was found in the entrant group. In no year
prior to 1930 was the percentage of children with "running ears" less than one;
and the result in the past two years in this respect is therefore the best yet obtained.
In 1927 the percentage was 1.3, and in 1913 it was over 2 per cent. The institution
of special ear centres for specialist examination of children with discharging ears has
produced a considerable improvement. Consequent upon the attention paid in the
early stages to conditions which, if neglected, produce deafness, there has been a
considerable reduction of the numbers suffering from this defect. Hardness of
hearing was found in 383 children, or only .2 per cent. of those examined. This
compares favourably with 453 in 1930, 696 in 1929, and 868 in 1927, and again equals
the best result yet obtained.
Mention is made in another part of this report (page 38) of the use of the audiometer,
which brings to light many minor degrees of hardness of hearing and cases of
unilateral deafness, which, while not interfering with education, are sometimes the
indication for active preventive treatment.
Defect of
vision.
Children in the 8- and 12-year age groups have their visual acuity tested by means
of the Snellen cards, those whose defects have been corrected having their vision
tested wearing their glasses. In the 8-year old group 39.7 per cent. boys and 40.4 per