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67
Although dental work has been in operation for some years
in the district, we have to admit that dental defects is still the most
widespread of all the defects found by school medical inspection,
especially in the Entrant Group. In the Intermediate and Leavers
Group we find that the conditions have improved, but this is due
to the treatment which has been carried out as a result of the dental
inspection. The conditions have therefore improved, but we have
to admit that true preventive work has not been very successful.
The Dental Profession has not given a definite and decided lead
as to the path along which we should tread. On the one hand,
there are eminent men who state that the prevention of dental caries
is a matter concerned with the environment of the teeth. These
dentists say that if sufficient care is taken of the teeth, caries will
not result. One dentist advocates the use of the tooth brush,
another depends upon the use of some cleansing food such as apples,
at the end of a meal. The obvious remedy of these authorities
would be to keep the teeth clean by natural and artificial means
and to avoid circumstances which favour acid fermentation on the
tooth surface, especially the eating of sweets and of soft insoluble
carbohydrates without subsequent cleansing of the teeth.
Recently the possibility of the prevention of dental disease
by dietetic measures has been brought forward. Research work
has been carried out by Mrs. Mellanby, and it is now claimed that
dental disease is dependent upon an insufficient supply of Vitamin
D in the diet of infants and possibly expectant mothers; that is
during the period when the temporary teeth are laid down. Vitamin
D is contained in abundance in Cod Liver Oil and in irradiated
ergosterol, and investigations have been made of the effect of
Vitamin D upon dental caries. Although the results obtained
await the confirmation of wider experience, there is some hope that
dental caries may be prevented or checked by a comparatively
simple dietetic process.
ANNUAL REPORT OF SCHOOL DENTAL SURGEON.
"7320 School children and 318 infants from the Maternity
and Child Welfare Centres were examined in 1931. Of these, 4579
school children and 179 infants were referred for treatment, 2999
and 172 respectively actually being treated.
"The changing of Clinics and Dentist has resulted, of course,
in a slight drop in the figures for school children, though there is an
increase in the number of gas cases. It is encouraging however
that the number of actual extractions has fallen, showing that,
as was also the case in the previous year, the amount of treatment
required by each child is less. The percentage of children not
requiring treatment shows another 2% increase.