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282
Inspection.
108 sessions were devoted to school inspection, this being an
increase of 8 on the toal for 1936. The age groups dealt with were
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 years for re-inspection; 5 and 6
year old entrants, and the whole of the children attending Central
Schools.
The dental officers have been unable to inspect all the children
and provide treatment for every child requiring it Out of 26,200
attending the public elementary and central schools, 17,747 were
inspected and 13,498 referred for treatment, compared with 18,316
inspected and 13,250 referred for treatment in the previous year.
The number inspected in 1937 was fewer than in the preceding
year because there was a considerable number of cases awaiting
treatment at December 31st, 1936, which had to be completed before
inspections for the year could be started. This batch of untreated
cases was considerable because many more children were inspected
towards the end of 1936 in readiness for treatment by the additional
dentist who commenced his duties towards the end of the year.
Other reasons for the drop in the number of children inspected
were: the increase in the percentage of children referred for treatment,
and that many of the children have required several attendances
to complete treatment.
The percentage of children suffering from dental disease was
76 as against 72 in 1936; the highest recorded except in 1924 when
it was 82. Tlie following table shows the percentage of children
referred for treatment since 1924.
Year
1924. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 1937.
Percentage of children
referred
for treatment
82 75 68 61 61 63 63 65 68 72 72 69 72 76
This decided increase in the number of children referred for
treatment means that 15 per cent. more children required treatment
in 1937 than in 1928. This table cannot be construed as showine
a marked deterioration of the teeth but rather as proving that
infrequent inspections are not able to control dental disease.
The number inspected represents 68 per cent, of the total school
roll as compared with 70 per cent, in 1936. The sessions devoted
to inspections totalled 108, and approximately 167 children were
inspected per session as agaist 183 in the previous year. The total
number of children with healthy dentitions was 9,443. This figure
represents 4,249 found healthy at dental inspections and 5,194
rendered artificially sound through treatment at clinics.