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do is at a very important age of the child's development. Justification
in filling them is also afforded by the fact that the process is
a comparatively speedy one, and, too, it is an excellent foundation
upon which to overcome the old-fashioned prejudice against fillings,
as very little pain is experienced by the child, and the lasting
results very satisfactory.
The number of permanent teeth saved by conservation treatment,
as indicated in the returns, is also very satisfactory. These
fillings call for a considerable period of time if they are to be
satisfactorily and lastingly done. Upon a fair average, twenty
minutes can be allocated to each of them. It can readily be seen,
therefore, how working time is very quickly absorbed. It is to be
remembered also that permanent fillings in a child should be
made with the consciousness that they will be called upon to serve
many more years than in an adult, and in the all-important
developing years.
Fraenum Cases.—A fair number of cases of slight severance of
the fraenum have been undertaken. These cases do, of course,
bear upon the orthodontic branch of dentistry. Usually, this
minor operation has been done in cases requiring this treatment
where the oral hygiene has been obviously well attended to.
It has been found necessary to make application for an
additional gas session per fortnight in order to cope with the gas
cases. If this request be conceded, the number of gas sessions now
will be exactly equal to the number utilised by my predecessor
whereas if not conceded I shall be having exactly half of the
number which he had and he found necessary. With the work of
the clinic growing, it seems inevitable that in the latter circumstances
a congestion must occur.
It must be pointed out also that these gas sessions accelerate
the work, it being possible to do two to three times the amount of
work in one of these gas sessions as compared with the amount of
extraction in a normal session by local injections.
H. S. SMYTH, L.D.S., R.C.S.(Eng.).