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123
During the year 88.4 per cent. of the school population were
examined, compared with 63.4 per cent. in 1952, showing an
advance of 25 per cent. Provided this figure can be sustained
and progressively improved upon, the position where every child
can secure at least one inspection annually may, in the not too
distant future, become an actual reality.
According to recent analysis some 1,421 children received
no examination during 1953. Schools were, however, visited on
an average every 14 months, compared with 18 to 20 months
previously.
At those schools visited 30,319 were inspected and 14,998
(49.4 per cent.) referred for treatment, compared with 20,996
inspected and 10,723 (51 per cent.) referred in 1952.
In view of present limitations relating to work which can be
carried out on temporary teeth, the above figures should not be
regarded as an index of the incidence of decay, which is naturally
appreciably higher. For practical purposes a mouth is classed as
"healthy" unless the case is actually referred for treatment.
The results obtained from school inspections were as
follows: —
Acceptance of Treatment 59%
Refused Treatment 30%
Forms Not Returned 11%
As indicated there has been a further fall of 5 per cent. in the
acceptance rate, making a total decrease of some 15 per cent.
since the peak of 1949.
Whilst it has always been assumed that the introduction of
free treatment for children under the General Practitioner Service
would lead to some reduction in demand in the School Service,
repercussions to date have been less than was anticipated, and the
present level of acceptance still compares favourably with that of
the immediate pre-war period. To match these changes, post-war
advances in the technique of children's dentistry has led to a
considerable increase in specialised work, such as the correction
of irregularities and restoration of fractured incisors.