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Each school in the Borough has been visited for the routine
annual inspection and it is the first time since 1933 that this has
been possible.
The results of the annual inspections were as follows:—
No. of inspections 40
No. of children inspected 4947
No. referred for treatment 3609
No. refused treatment 862
In addition 106 children were inspected and were awaiting
treatment at the end of the year, but have not been included in the
present report.
The number of children for whom no treatment was needed
was 1,338, a percentage of 27. The comparable figures for 1936,
were 973, a percentage of 24.6.
I commented, in the 1936 report, on the importance of maintaining
a fairly constant figure of sound dentitions at the annual
inspections and it is gratifying to note that with the return to an
inspection of not more than a twelve monthly period, this percentage
has increased from 24.6 to 27.
The comparable figures for five years are as follows:—
1933 1934 1935 1936 1937
29.5 27.5 34.4 24.6 27.0
An average of 28.6 over the period.
The percentage of refusals is 23.8 compared with 19.8 in the
previous year. The number of children in each year being 862,
compared with 591. The increase is accounted for by the fact that
all schools have been included in this report.
The refusal percentage in the West Wickham Schools is higher
than in the older part of the Borough, but one would not expect to
obtain quite the same results in the first complete year, as are
obtained where a clinic has been established for many years. I am
confident, however, that as time goes on, full advantage will be taken
by the parents of the facilities provided.
In an interim report in 1936, indicating the necessity for a
dental clinic in West Wickham, I estimated that in a full year,
attendances would be approximately 800. During this year the
attendances at that clinic were 892. Mr. Carr, the Dental Officer
and Miss Dobson, the Dental Nurse, are to be congratulated on an
excellent year's work.
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