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138
As the new surgery was not opened until mid-November, the
working time has been too short to be of much benefit to the dental
service as a whole during the year under review.
Inspection.
In future it should be possible to inspect and treat all children
needing treatment in the schools of the Borough within a period
of twelve months, instead of an average period of 16.85 months
(vide Borough of Leyton Health Report, 1937). This in itself is
very important, as the defects accumulating over a period of 16.85
months require longer to treat, and consequently the interval
between inspections tends to increase.
As little as possible of the educational time of the child is
taken up at inspection. A very thorough examination of the mouth
is necessary only in the apparently sound mouths. Those obviously
needing treatment are more thoroughly examined at the time of
treatment. Larger numbers can therefore be dealt with at an
inspection session.
Secondary Schools.
An interesting development of the service is the routine
inspection and treatment of Secondary School children, some of
whom have not received any treatment for periods up to five years.
The Leyton County High School for Girls, and also that for Boys,
were inspected late in the year, and treatment had only just begun
during the period covered by this report.
The percentage of children requiring treatment was found to
be 87.08 per cent, in the girl's school, and 85.55 per cent, in the
boys' (comparative figure for the elementary schools of the Borough
being 68 per cent.). These high percentages, however, do not tell
the whole story. Many of the children were found to require as
many as six permanent fillings, and one or two permanent extractions.
A few individual cases need even more work than this.
Very clear evidence is thus afforded of the need for regular and
continuous attention to the adolescent. A real service has been
done for the local community by including these secondary school
pupils in the School Dental Scheme as much of the work done in
the past by the Authority's Dental Officers for these children was
rapidly being wasted.