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47
There has been an appreciable fall in the average age of the
children referred. In 1954 it was just 8 years as against 8£ years
in 1953 and 9 years before that. The number of pre-school children
is more than double the 1953 figure and the biggest increase has
been in the number of children of primary age.
We have more and more evidence that the problems presented
to us have their beginnings in infancy and the nearer to their
beginning they are recognised, the quicker and the more surely are
they dealt with.
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE.
During 1954 the staffing position has continued to improve
and consequently in most clinics the leeway resulting from the
restricted scheme of 1950-1953 is being rapidly made up.
The average allocation of children per dental officer remains
at about 3,500. Where the figure is below this good progress is
being made as indicated above, but due to shifting population etc.,
in some clinics the allocation is very much higher and adequate
progress cannot be made until more staff and accommodation is
available. Overloading of the individual dental officer results in an
increasing number of cases requiring urgent treatment (" specials ")
and while the bulk of chairside time is being spent treating ' specials,'
the routine inspection and treatment of school children lags further
behind so that the end of this year finds us with several schools
which have not been inspected for some time. It is hoped that in
1955 it will be possible to secure extra staff and accommodation so
as to improve this position.
The evening sessions have continued to operate with marked
success, a total of 207 sessions having been worked and 1846 fillings
carried out. It is significant that the average number of permanent
fillings carried out per evening session is markedly higher than in a
daytime session (8.9 to 6.3). (This is because the dental officer is
able to work undisturbed by the many outside interruptions which
influence the output of a busy daytime session.)
The orthodontic service makes satisfactory progress, 2 part
time orthodontists doing between them 10 sessions per week. The
end of the year finds us with an insignificant waiting list of patients
and no child is now kept waiting for consultation and if neccessarv
immediate treatment. But as dental officers get into their stride
again with routine school inspections it is likely that the number of
cases referred for orthodontic treatment will increase and expansion
of the service may prove necessary.
With the increased activity of the orthodontic clinic the
number of x-ray films taken has increased by over 33% compared
with last year, and we now have two dental attendants working at
the Cherington House Orthodontic Clinic who have special training
in x-ray work.