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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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Table No. 72. —Corresponding to Table IV. D. of Appendix G. of the Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer of the Board of Education for 1919.
Treatment of Dextal Defects.
(1) Number of children dealt with.
| Age Groups. | Specials. | Total. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 6 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |||
| (a) Inspected by Dentist | 210 | 369 422 | 195 | 4 | — | - | 2,300 | 3,500 | |||
| (b) Referred for treatment | 941 | 2.296 | 3,237 | ||||||||
| (c) Actually treated | 548 | 2,378 | 2,926 | ||||||||
| (d) Re-treated* (result of periodical reexamination) | 273 | 408 | 681 | ||||||||
| *It is understood that cases under this head are also included under C. above. | |||||||||||
(2) Particulars of the time given and of operations undertaken.
| Number of half-days devoted to inspection. | Number of half-days devoted to treatment. | Total number of Attendances made by children at the Clinic. | Number of Permanent Teeth. | Number of Temporary Teeth. | Total number of fillings. | Number of administrations of General Anaesthetic in 4 & 6 | Number of other operations. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extracted | Filled | Extracted | Filled | Permanent Teeth | Temporary Teeth. | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 27 | 1,014 | 10,670 | 1,394 | 2,364 | 10,017 | 1,292 | 3,656 | 3,262 | 799 | 278 |
Expectant and Nursing Mothers and Children under 5 Years.—The report on this section of
the work shows that 706 patients attended the Dental Clinic during 1920; of this number, 168 were
brought forward from 1919 and 538 were new patients.
1,823 Attendances were recorded. Of the number of new patients, 255 were mothers and
283 were children.
1,591 Teeth were extracted, 394 fillings done, and 304 other forms of dental treatment carried
out during the year. In addition 29 children were re-examined and re-treated and 477 patients
received general anaesthetics.
Comparing the work with that of the previous year, it will be seen that the attendances have
increased by 945. The number of fillings done exceeds previous figures by 226 and the number
of extractions by 765, or nearly double.
This satisfactory progress no doubt is due to the growing appreciation of the dental work
and to the decision of the Council on the 24th February, 1920, to undertake the provision of dentures
to expectant and nursing mothers under the following conditions:—
(a) That the cost should not exceed £3 per upper or lower denture.
(b) That the supply of dentures be distributed among the local registered dentists who
were prepared to accept this rate.
(c) That dentures be supplied free to those applicants whose economic circumstances
come within the economic circumstances scale, fixed by the Council in connection
with the scheme for the Provision of Milk and Meals.
(d) That cases above the economic circumstances scale be supplied with dentures at
cost to the Council and that payment be accepted by minimum instalments of
5s. per week, to commence from the time of the first extractions and subject to the
patient having paid a minimum sum of £1 before the dentures are supplied.
Mothers much more readily submit to treatment when they know that their mastication
will to a large extent be restored and that they are not going to be left toothless.