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(g) Ear Disease and Hearing.—Of 100 children with ear
defects who received treatment, all received treatment at the
Health Centres.
(h) Dental Defects. The following is the Report of the
School Dentist (Mr. C. Colenso, L.D.S.):—
"It is gratifying to report that this year the number of parents
objecting to dental treatment has been greatly reduced. This
effect was made possible by greater pressure being brought to
bear on them. Extra visits by the school nurses were made to
the homes of objectors, and where no satisfactory result was
obtained by this method, letters were sent advising the need of
treatment and threatening proceedings under the Children Act
if the advice was neglected. At the dental inspections also, a
great number of those parents were interviewed with most satisfactory
results. From these efforts therefore we find a higher
percentage of children treated and leaving school this year with
sound mouths, as the majority treated were of school leading age.
"On the other hand, the children five years of age, entering
the schools were found as a rule to have a very bad dental condition.
Approximately 80 per cent. of those submitted for treatment
required the removal of six or more teeth each, to such an extent
had decay and sepsis advanced. Consequently from this early
removal of so many teeth we may expect to see a certain amount of
irregularity in the permanent dentition.
"There is no single reason why the teeth of these children
should be so much affected with decay. Sweets we know are an
important factor, but more vitally important is the diet of the
infant and child. Expectant mothers do not always buy the food
which contains the requisite amount of vitamins, and without these
the unborn child is not having a sound foundation laid for the
future eruption of strong teeth. Then comes the school child, its
food is somewhat lacking in respect of vitamins. The lack of
the essential vitamins shows its influence in the extremely bad
condition of the teeth of the children on admission to school.