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123
DENTAL SERVICES.
There are certain comparisons between the statistics for
one year and those of another which are always interesting
and informative. For example, the average maximum output,
particularly of fillings, remains practically constant for
individual Dental Officers. It also becomes clear that pupils
in secondary schools have shown more keenness to avail themselves
of conservative treatment and the number of ante-natal
mothers undergoing treatment has also materially increased,
this of course, was to be expected as a direct result of the
operation of the Midwives Act of 1936.
The ratio of fillings and extractions per 100 children
treated (elementary and secondary schools) remains approximately
the same, namely 159 and 189 respectively. These
figures compare favourably with the average for England and
Wales, namely 83 fillings and 188 extractions.
The inspection of elementary school children on the other
hand has decreased by 2,335 compared with the previous year,
but at the same time the actual attendances made by children
for treatment remains practically the same, viz., 13,223 as
compared with 13,644 in 1937. It is a significant fact, however,
that only 8,957 elementary school children were examined
last year out of a total of 14,026. Examinations are not of
course undertaken unless time permits of the resulting treatment
being carried out. This is an apparently low figure,
but the work done, reflected in the number of attendances for
treatment, remains constant. It will be seen, however, that
a gap of over eighteen months must take place between the
inspection of individual children instead of one year, which
is the maximum period which should elapse between examinations.
The figures relating to the School Dental Services are
shown in the Board of Education Statistical Table No, IV. at
the end of this Report.