London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Willesden 1920
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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72
To prevent gross lesions and the gross dental decay and oral sepsis from which so much illhealth
springs, it is necessary to deal with dental disease at the commencement by treatment at an
early age.
All children entering the infant departments should be inspected as soon as possible and
the necessary treatment given at once. The dental scheme should also provide for re-examination
of all children in the age groups previously inspected and for immediate treatment, if necessary,
so that a health}' condition of the teeth and gums may be secured and maintained. In this way
the whole of the children of elementary school age would eventually be brought under adequate
dental inspection and treatment and leave school with healthy dentures.
The annual re-inspection of children is as important as the inspection and treatment of new
cases; if this work is allowed to get seriously into arrears the benefit of conservative work already
done will be largely nullified. This will be appreciated by glancing at the following Table, No. 69,
which was prepared from a series of test re-examinations of school children where treatment had
been completed at the clinic from 6 months to 2 years previously.
Table No . 69.
| No. of Children. | Interval. | No. of Fresh Caries. | Average per Child. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 6—12 months | 52 | 1.6 |
| 15 | 12—18 ,, | 30 | 2.0 |
| 30 | 18—24 ,, | 92 | 3.06 |
It will be noticed that the three groups, with intervals of 6—12 months, 12—18 months,
18—24 months have respectively 1.6, 2.0, 3.06 teeth with fresh caries, proving the necessity for
re-treatment at least once a year.
It is not possible for the two Dentists employed to carry out a complete scheme for all the
children of the schools. One dentist can keep the mouths of 3,000 children fit and free from caries.
Table No. 70.
Return Showing No. of Cases Referred in 1920 with the View of Dental Treatment being Obtained.
| Year. | Referred by | Total. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Inspection and Officers of Health Dept. | Head Teachers. | Attendance Officers. | Others. | ||
| 1920 | 1,386 | 466 | 6 | 1,379 | 3,237 |
| 1919 | 2,833 | 654 | 17 | 1,371 | 4,875 |
Table No . 71.
Return showing the number of dental defects referred for treatment, the number of visits and dental examinations made in connection therewith, and the extent to which remedial measures were carried out during 1920.
| No. coming under observation during 1920 | 'Brought forward from 1919 | 1,248 |
| From the 1920 inspections | 3,237 | |
| From the 1920 re-examinations | 604 | |
| - | ||
| Total | 5,089 | |
| No. of visits made by Health Visitors | 8,024 | |
| No. of dental examinations made | 10,670 | |
| No. Treated | Clinic | 4,188 |
| Private Practitioner or Dentist | 55 | |
| Voluntary Hospital or other Charitable institution | 44 | |
| Total | 4,287 | |
| No. treatment completed | 2,976 | |
| No. improved—completion refused or patient removed | 435 | |
| No. still under treatment at end of year | 876 | |
| Percentage treated | 84-2 | |
| No. Not Treated | Refused treatment | 408 |
| Still under observation at end of year | 394 | |
| Total | 802 | |
| Total No. under observation at end of vear and carried forward to suc | ||
| ceeding year | 1,270 | |