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Parents are very keen on this new branch of public health
dentistry, and continually ask for appointments, and its popularity
may be judged by the long waiting list.
All treatments, except for the initial visit, have been attended
to after the routine sessional cases have been completed, but the
number of cases is increasing, so that some definite provision with
regard to attendance will have to be made in the near future.
Cost of the Scheme.
Fees so far have been low, and on an experimental basis.
All the appliances inserted have been paid for by the parents, so
that no expense has been incurred to the Local Authority, save
the Dental Surgeon's time. The arrangement in 1931 was that
the charge was based on the cost of the appliances, which varied
with che different types used. With the experience gained during
that year a definite scale of fees is now under consideration.
Orthodontia as a Preventive Measure.
It is sometimes said that time given to Orthodontia could be
spent in conservative treatment, but it cannot be regarded as a
scientific procedure to fill teeth in an overcrowded mouth prone to
infection. The cause of the condition must be removed before an
improvement in the incidence of dental caries can be expected.
Irregularly-placed teeth are not only predisposed to decay, but,
moreover, in adult life they show a great susceptibility to
pyorrhoea. Oral hygiene under these conditions is impossible,
as the tongue, lips and muscles are unable to carry out their
proper function. Orthodontia is, then, a necessary prophylactic
measure; in fact, it is an outpost of preventive dentistry.
Chief Causes Producing Dental Deformity.
The prevention of irregularity depends to a large extent upon
the parent.
A healthy mother will produce a healthy child with strong
bones, and the growth of these bones is dependent upon correct
function and diet. A bottle-fed child will not get proper stimulation
and development of the jaws to hold a full complement of
teeth.