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42
The percentage of those desiring the initial inspection who
failed their appointments tends to show variations, and now
stands at 23 per cent., compared with 31 per cent. in 1963.
Expectant mothers examined for the first time numbered 121
against 166 last year. Of these 75.2 per cent. were seen during
the first six months of pregnancy. Those attending at later
stages of their confinements included some who had but recently
arrived in the Borough and had been unable to arrange for prior
treatment.
As a result of improved supervision during the pre-natal
period, the amount of work for nursing mothers has shown a
steady decline during recent years, and has therefore ceased to
present any special problem Of those seen, some such cases resulted
from late reference from the Ante-Natal Department,
which did not permit of treatment until after the confinement.
18 nursing mothers were examined or re-treated during the
current year, compared with 22 in 1963.
Treatment
Including those continuing treatment from the previous year,
171 mothers were dealt with, against 223 in 1963. 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
As mentioned earlier in this Report current observation of
these children would appear to indicate an improvement in oral
conditions compared with pre-war years, but until better coverage
can be obtained it would be folly to be too dogmatic. A
point of interest, generally agreed by those carrying out
routine school inspections for "beginners" is that whilst most
children arrive with better teeth, some deterioration is noticeable
after the age of about 7 years, possibly due to an increased
consumption of sugar and other fermentable substances.
The usual tables are given in the Appendix, page 112.