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In fact, during the year under review, of the 35,573 children on the school roll,
29,937 were inspected, this being 84% of the total (1963 National Figure 57%).
11,329 (38%) of those inspected were found to require treatment (1963 National
Figure 62%) and 10,945 (97%) of those requiring treatment were offered treatment
(1963 National Figure 87%). Of the 10,945 offered treatment, 6,874 (63%)
accepted treatment through the school dental service (1963 National Figure 59%).
During the year, therefore, the school dental service treated 19% of the children
on the school roll (1963 National Figure 18%) but one must remember that some
parents arrange dental treatment through the general dental service. The scope
of the service included not only the day special schools but also Wavendon
Residential Special School for educationally sub-normal girls.
These results have been achieved with a dental staff of 7.6 (full time equivalent)
including orthodontists, against an establishment of 11 dentists, including orthodontists,
which is considered necessary to give a satisfactory service.
The Borough is fortunate in the standard of its premises and equipment. There
are nine clinics providing dental suites with a total of thirteen dental surgeries, one
surgery being used exclusively for orthodontics and three surgeries being of dual purpose
for dentistry and orthodontics. Four of the premises are of very recent construction
and modern design, and all premises are fitted with up-to date equipment,
including air turbine high speed instruments. For greater convenience, all anaesthetic
apparatus is standard throughout (Walton) as are also the X-ray machines.
All dental prosthetic and orthodontic appliances are made at the Dental
Laboratory, maintained by a neighbouring authority, and 19 dentures, 690 removable
appliances and 122 fixed appliances were supplied.
The Principal School Dental Officer reports :—
"Dental disease is the most common of all diseases, the price we have to pay
for living in the kind of society that we have come to expect. A high intake of
fermentable carbohydrate in the diet, brings about destruction of the tooth enamel,
and triggers off a chain of events, resulting in the eventual loss of one or more
teeth, unless it is checked before it is too late.
"Sweets, confections, and sticky fluids are the prime offenders where children
and young people are concerned, as the customary crop of emergency toothaches
amply testify after Christmas each year.
"There is no doubt that there is a much greater degree of tooth consciousness
and that dental treatment is far more readily accepted than in the past. But there
has not been the same acceptance of the need for a reasoned and well balanced
diet to try to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for dental treatment.
"It can be said that today the teeth of the population in general are much better
than in the past. This is not because the incidence of decay is necessarily less than
it was, but rather because of the greater amount of treatment that has been received.
"Parents and teachers can do much to cut down the evil effects of residual
and harmful food debris clinging to the teeth after meals, by giving a portion of
apple to finish the meal with. This stimulates the flow of saliva, and has a cleansing
effect on the teeth.
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