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Total number of sessions 255
„ „ attendances 1,790
Average attendance per session 7
Cases still under treatment at end of 1936 33
DENTAL TREATMENT FOR MATERNITY AND CHILD
WELFARE PATIENTS.
There has been a great improvement in the number of mothers
who have attended the Clinics during the year. The improvement
is due in a large measure to the increased numJber of women referred
from the Clinics in the early stages of piegnancy. The ideal will
not be reached, however, until every woman examined at the antenatal
Clinic is dentally inspected, and when necessary X-Rayed,so
that insidious dental infection, which may cause incalculable harm,
can be eliminated at the earliest possible time.
Unfortunately, many of the women examined have ven unhealthy
mouths, and this dental sepsis is often the cause of vague
ill-health during the expectant period.
In view of the importance of dental treatment it is regrettable
that the available staff of four dental officers (the fourth commenced
duty only on the 30th November), devoting one-eleventh
of their weekly time to this work, is not sufficient to cope with the
large numbers requiring treatment. This deficiency is being made
good in 1937, with the equivalent of a whole time dentist for this
work and the supervision and treatment of the pre-school child.
All the dentists will, however, take part.