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— the greater majority being in the 5-9 year age group.
Courses
In these days when dental science is advancing more rapidly
than ever before, it is essential that opportunities exist for staff
to attend post-graduate refresher courses and conferences and
so keep up-to-date with the latest developments. The British
Post-graduate Medical Federation organises some excellent
refresher courses for dentists in the London area, which usually
take the form of one half day session per week over a period
of 4 - 6 weeks. During the year a course of this nature in
Orthodontics was attended by two members of staff.
Priority Dental Service
The total number of sessions available for treatment was
considerably reduced this year, but the proportion of time spent
in treating the priority classes was maintained at 7% of the
total.
That those under five years old who attend the clinics for
treatment receive a high standard of dental care is demonstrated
by the fact that many fewer teeth were extracted in relation to
the number conserved and saved. The ratio of teeth filled to
those extracted rose to a new high level of 7 to 1. This compares
with a ratio of 5 to 1 last year. The corresponding figure for
permanent teeth is 11 teeth saved for every tooth extracted.
An increasing number of mothers now realise the importance
of seeking a dental examination for their children when they reach
3 years of age. This is due in no small way to the continued
efforts of doctors, dentists and health visitors and other workers
to emphasise this point at every opportunity. If a child is
introduced to the dentist in his surroundings at this age, when
little, if any, treatment is required, and these check-ups are
continued until school age is reached, then it is possible for the
dentist to build up a friendly relationship which stands the child
in good stead for the rest of its life. Visits to the dentist then
become an acceptable part of the routine business of keeping
fit and not something to be dreaded and avoided whenever
possible. Health education is a sphere which can be slow to
show results and it is only by continued repetition and emphasis
on points such as the importance of early dental inspections
that new attitudes are adopted.
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