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NUMBER OF INSPECTION SESSIONS AT SCHOOLS
Curtailment of dental inspections in schools by dental officers was geared to treatment
facilities available; these, in turn, were organised to cope with local acceptance of offers
of appointments for treatment. Many parents, advised of dental faults, expressed preference
for treatment elsewhere—mainly by use of the General Dental Service facilities. In some
schools inspections by dentists were not pressed to avoid school disruption and reliance
was placed on the observations of doctors and nurses and teachers. This was particularly
so in secondary schools, where disruption of education could be more serious.
While the percentage of schoolchildren found to require treatment (64.8) is slightly
higher than for the preceding year (65.3) and is a reversal of the favourable trend since
1959 (table (ii)), it is my opinion that the dental faults observed are in most cases trivial
when compared to the clinical aspects of the past. Serious oral sepsis and gross degenerative
oral symptoms, undermining general health and directly attributable to oral conditions,
are not now so greatly seen, although dental caries is still far too widespread and should
have regular and consistent attention. In brief, mouths are greatly improved, but teeth are
still faulty!
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