View report page

45
DENTAL REPORT FOR YEAR 1922.
I have the honour to submit the Dental Report for the year 1922.
I have examined all the children in the Elementary Schools, but
Balgowan Girls have not been treated, so I have not included the
statistics for that Department in the present report. I propose to
commence the treatment of the girls immediately.
Thirty visits were made by the Dental Nurse and myself at the
Schools, and 3056 children were inspected, giving an average of
101.8 children inspected per visit.
Of the ch?fdren examined, 758 had sound dentures (those children
rendered artificially sound by treatment are included).
This figure gives a percentage of 24, an increase of 6 per cent,
on the previous report, and' means that the treatment given is providing
the children with a good healthy mouth and an efficient
masticating organ.
The number of children referred for treatment was 2,298, and of
this number, 1,788 were actually treated, the difference between the
two, viz., 510 represents the " refusals " during the year.
The percentage of " refusals " is 22, an increase of 1 per cent,
over the previous report, but that report did not include Alexandra
School, where the " refusals " in the Infants Department were large.
These " refusals " are further sub-divided as follows: —
(a) 18 per cent-, refused.
(b) 2 per cent, treated privately.
(c) 2 per cent, did not keep appointments.
With regard to Group (a), the Dental Nurse has visited the
homes whenever possible, but the results are not very satisfactory,
only very few parents have altered their previous decisions not to
accept treatment". In those cases that have reconsidered the matter,
the children on attending are found not amenable to treatment. In
the older children (13-14), the children themselves refuse to attend,