Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield]
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under review was much less than in 1935, and the treatment of these
children will not be completed until 1937. Nevertheless, the
combined amount of work for both elementary and secondary school
children was considerably increased, as is shown by the following
figures:—
INSPECTION AND TREATMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL CHILDREN COMBINED
| Year. | Number Inspected. | Number Treated. | Number of Fillings. | Number of Extractions. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 5,102 | 3,005 | 4,353 | 4,667 |
| 1936 | 6,679 | 3,640 | 5,049 | 6,558 |
The large number of fillings will be noted, all but 282 being
in permanent teeth. In the Enfield School Dental Service the
conservation of the teeth has always been a prominent feature,
and annual reports have invariably shown a high average of fillings
inserted. The average during the past five years has been 4,974—
an unusually high figure.
Of the total of 6,558 extractions (6,498 for elementary and
60 for secondary school children), 5,540 were temporary and 1,018
permanent teeth. This total represents an increase of 1,891 extractions
as compared with the previous year and may be ascribed to
two causes: (1) the larger number of children receiving treatment
who had previously refused, and (2) the influx into Enfield from
other towns and districts of many children who had previously not
received conservative dental treatment. Of the permanent teeth
extracted, 85 were not carious but were extracted for regulation
purposes.
The number of elementary school children who were referred
for dental treatment as a result of routine dental inspection was
70 per cent, of those inspected. Parents gave their written consent
to treatment in the case of 72.9 per cent, of children referred.
Some children, however, failed to keep their appointments on
account of ill-health or other reasons, so that the percentage of those
referred actually treated was reduced to 67.2 per cent. The total
number treated was 3,640, 3,554 being elementary and 86 secondary
school children. This figure includes 1,054- specials—an increase
of 338 over the corresponding figure for 1935. It would be an
advantage if the number of specials could be reduced so that more