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48
Expectant mothers examined for the first time numbered 199
against 202 last year. Of these, 76.4 per cent, were seen during
the first six months of pregnancy. Those attending at later
stages of their confinements included some with pain or discomfort;
others, who had but recently arrived in the Borough, had
been unable to arrange for prior treatment.
There has been little change in the amount of work carried
out for nursing mothers, which during recent years has suffered
a decline. Some cases resulted from late reference from the
Ante-Natal Department, which did not permit of treatment until
after the confinement; otherwisw names were received during the
post-natal period.
20 nursing mothers were examined during the current year,
compared with 17 in 1961.
Treatment
Including those continuing treatment from the previous year,
274 mothers were dealt with, against 307 in 1961. A welcome sign
during recent years has been a decrease in the need for wholesale
removal of teeth and the large scale provision of dentures,
the current generation of expectant mothers also shows an increased
awareness of the need for retaining their natural teeth.
Certain of those attending volunteer the information that they
have visited the same clinic during their school days and have
obviously benefited from treatment during this period.
The Pre-School Child
The number of children referred from all sources during the
year was 394, compared with 399 in 1961. As previously, this
figure included a proportion of "toddlers" due for re-inspection
and treatment.
In common with the condition found among school children,
the added sugar consumption of post war years has also been responsible
for an appreciable increase in decay in the mouths of
the "under fives"; earlier supervision of these youngsters is
therefore becoming of great importance. Though cases of deliberate
neglect are rare, the growth in part-time employment of
mothers has tended to reduce the proportion of the younger
children attending for routine "check-up" at dental clinics, and
there is as yet no evidence that this service is obtained elsewhere.
New and more positive methods of approach are being tried
to deal with this increasing social problem.
The usual tables are given in the Appendix, page 114.