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68
Notable conditions prevailing at the time of Dental Inspections
are these:—
1st.—Uncleanliness:—85 per cent. of the children do not clean
their teeth.
2nd.—Disastrous conditions of the teeth of children attending the
Elementary Schools aged 5, particularly at Alexandra School.
These two conditions are so important that I intend to deal
with them further in Section 3 of this Report.
REFUSALS.
The percentage of Refusals in all schools completed up to
December 31st, 1920, is 17 per cent. Considering that at the present
time, no attempt is made to urge the Parents of the school children
to accept the treatment offered by means of Propaganda in the form
of personal visitation, etc., the above percentage is by no means
bad, in fact, I might suggest, that the percentage of acceptances for
the first year of working a whole-time Dental Clinic is extraordinarily
good, and the Beckenham Authorities may congratulate
themselves that they have such a sensible community with whom
to deal. At the same time, every endeavour must be made to reduce
the percentage of Refusals and reference is made to this in Section
3 of the Report. From the point of view of interest, it may be well
here to quote from two Dental Surgeons' Reports which I have
received:—
1st.—The percentage of Refusals of Dental Treatment at the
Cambridge Dental Clinic is 1" per cent. after 12 years of
working under a whole-time Dental Surgeon.
2nd.—The percentage of Refusals of Dental Treatment at the
Southend-on-Sea Dental Clinic is just under 50 per cent.
after one year of working under a whole-time Dental
Surgeon.