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59
THE TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT
for the
Year 1929,
on
DENTAL WORK in connection with SCHOOL CHILDREN,
EXPECTANT and NURSING MOTHERS and CHILDREN
under 5 years.
By E. A. JENNINGS, L.D.S., R.C.S.Eng.
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE.
There has been no alteration in the Council's scheme for the dental supervision and treatment
of elementary school children and there is nothing outstanding to report on the year’s work.
A total number of 15,749 children have been inspected by the dentists during the year, 14,306
of these were routine School inspections and 1,443 were cases specially referred to the Health Centres
for examination.
11,217 or 71 per cent. were found to have defective teeth and were referred to the Health
Visitor’s for “Following up” with a view to obtaining the necessary treatment.
The corresponding figures for the previous year were a total of 13,976 children inspected 12,374
were routine inspections and 1,602 specially referred.
9,967 or 71 per cent. had defective teeth.
The number of children actually treated at the Health Centres was 2,171. In regard to this
figure it should be pointed out that although the scheme at present in operation provides for a rather
elaborate and complete system of inspection for all elementary school children it does not provide such
a complete arrangement for treatment.
To instance one point only, namely, that treatment has at first to be urged to be done privately
or at hospital before being offered at the Health Centres.
A deterrent such as this provides sufficient opportunity for the child to avoid treatment
altogether at the Centres or elsewhere.
Increased facilities with first option to attend the Health Centre supported by adequate arrangements
for home visitation by the Health Visitors together with co-operation of the School Authorities
are the means whereby this number may be increased.
The work of the year includes 2,764 teeth filled, 2,176 of which were the permanent teeth and
5,239 teeth removed for which general anaesthetics were administered on 1,371 occasions and local
on 405.
The local anaesthetics include both the spraying of drugs on the gum surfaces and the injection
into the gum itself.
The filling materials used were chiefly the silver-tin amalgam with cement lining and where
such material tends to become unsightly such as when placed in anterior teeth, translucent cement
was used.
593 other operations were done which includes root fillings to front teeth. Zinc oxide dressings
to tooth cavities, application of silver nitrate treatment to the gums and removal of calculus.
A total of 5,330 attendances were recorded by all patients.
The following table is a summary of the year's work.