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NUMBER OF TREATMENT SESSIONS
From inspections and clinical observations throughout the year there is no doubt that
many more children than formerly are receiving dental attention from sources other than
the school dental service, but there is also evidence that many parents, having expressed an
intention to have attention elsewhere, unfortunately procrastinate or forget entirely.
Throughout the year efforts were made in the nine health divisions to introduce a measure
of follow.up of 'truant' children by use of social workers. The problem is a gigantic one
if the children recorded as 'dentally unfit' who fail to attend treatment centres are to be
followed.up in an endeavour to ascertain whether any steps have been taken by the parents
to have faults corrected. Gross cases of neglect can be specifically noted at medical inspections
and specific follow.up activities implemented in such cases to ensure attention.
The tables and graphs in this report reveal the same factors of gradual shrinkage in
volumes as in the past few years, but also show a continuance of improvement in the ratio
of teeth filled to teeth extracted. In addition to these encouraging symptoms, a further and
very important improvement was the expansion, for the second year, of organised revisional
treatment for children who had completed a course of treatment and had been rendered
dentally sound. Dental officers and parents could derive much satisfaction from the fact
that children treated in the Council's dental centres were at last able to receive treatment
which is now comparable to that given to individuals in general or private practice.
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