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children with naturally perfect teeth was 10.5 per 100 children
inspected. There was a corresponding difference in the degree of
Caries found to be present in the children attending the two schools.
Of all the temporary teeth, the molar teeth are the most important,
and the number of these teeth unsaveable and already extracted on
account of advanced caries was, in the case of the poorer school,
3.1 per child inspected. The corresponding figure for the other
school was only 1.7 .
The Medical Research Council has recently issued its final
report on "The influence of diet on caries in children's teeth."
It emerges from this report that a diet rich in Vitamin D reduces
in a marked degree the incidence of dental caries when given during
the development of the teeth, and that there is a beneficial effect
even when it is given after the teeth have erupted. The finding of
this report may be held to supply a partial explanation of the lower
incidence of dental caries found in the teeth of those young children
in Enfield who come from homes where the weekly budget permits
a better balanced diet with, one may presume, a higher Vitamin D
content than is found possible in the case of the poorer children.
The sum received in fees from elementary school children
during 1936 amounted to £62 5s. 3d.—an increase of £11 17s. over
the sum received in 1935.
In conclusion, Mr. Mackay and I wish to express our thanks
to all Head Teachers for their unfailing co-operation, and to acknowledge
the great assistance rendered by Nurse Anderson and Miss
Groves—assistance which contributes so largely to the success of
the Dental Clinic.
1 am, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
C. E. JAMES,
Senior School Dental Surgeon.