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48
Reference has been made in previous reports to the mortality
rate of permanent teeth. In 1952 1 permanent tooth was extracted
for every 10.7 permanent fillings, in 1953 it improved to 1 extraction
to every 12.6 fillings, the 1954 figure remains the same. This is a
good ratio but it is desirable that the upward trend continues
unabated. The position in relation to temporary teeth is especially
encouraging. In 1954 95% more temporary fillings were carried
out than in 1953 and the ratio of temporary teeth extracted to
temporary fillings has fallen from 3.4 to 1, to 1.6 to 1.
During 1953 50% of new cases treated were children who
required urgent treatment and only 50% were children who were
being treated as a result of routine inspection at school. During
1954 these figures improved to 41% and 59% respectively. These
figures relate themselves directly to the allocation of children to the
particular dental officers. Where the loading is high, so is the
number of ' specials ' and the dental officer is unable to proceed
with the all important routine work. To quote particular examples,
at Clinic 'A ', with a loading of over 5,000 children during 1954,
only 345 routine cases were treated but 918 ' specials ' had to be
treated. At Clinic ' B ' with a loading of 2,500 children and operating
for 10 months of the year, 730 routine cases were treated and only
201 ' specials '. The emergencies did not arise io anything like the
same degree because the children were getting their routine
examinations at shorter intervals.
It is fair to say that there is evidence of steady progress in the
school dental service of the area, but there is no room for complacency
and if a full and adequate service is to be built up,
expansion as already suggested will be essential.
EAR, NOSE AND THROAT SERVICE
Mr. Arthur Miller, Consulting Otologist, reports :—
Children are referred to see me by the Medical Officers,
suffering from mouth breathing, sore throats, nasal, Eustachian
and middle ear catarrh, which is often associated with deafness,
also children who have not passed the gramophone and pure tone
audiometry test.
The cause of the trouble was often found to be due to enlarged
adenoids and turbinates, sinusitis and infected tonsils. It was very
helpful to be able to get an X-ray confirmation of the sinus infection
and great use has been made of the facilities provided for it.
The treatment administered was diastolisation, politzeration
and Eustachian catherisation as well as breathing exercises. In
cases where sinusitis was confirmed, Proetz displacement treatment
was practised. In some cases adenoidectomy only was advised, in
others adeno-tonsillectomy.