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46
THE FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT
FOR THE
Year 1931,
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.
I beg to submit herewith the Annual Report on the Dental Service for the year 1931.
This is the first occasion on which the year under review deals with the results obtained by
four dental surgeons working a complete year. 896 mothers and children under 5 years and 1,490
school children were inspected by the dentists at the Council's Health Centres and 20,920 scholars
were subject to routine inspection at the schools making a total of 23,306 for the year. 5,718 patients
received treatment at the Centres for whom 8,725 teeth were preserved, 17,393 teeth were removed
and 4,513 other forms of treatment making a total of 30,631 dental operations for the year. General
anaesthetics were administered to 3,970 cases during 180 sessions making an average of 22 per session.
For other operations the injection of local anaesthetics were employed on 735 occasions. The total
number of sessions devoted to treatment was 1,523 and the number of visits made by the dentists
to the schools amounted to 408.
Comparative Table of Work done for Year 1931 and 1930.

The above table of comparative figures shows that there has been an all round increase in
work done. The number inspected has increased from 18,069 to 23,306, the number of patients
treated from 4,638 to 5,718 and numbers of teeth filled and removed have risen from 5,837 and 14,421
of the previous year to 8,725 and 17,393 respectively, while the total number of general anaesthetic
cases and sundry treatments is 3,970 and 4,513 as against 3,037 and 1,916.
In connection with these results it should be noted that the figures relating to teeth removed
and patients treated have been largely brought about by the decision of the Council to appoint a
special Anaesthetist for dental operations.
As was expected this valuable addition to the Service has proved to be not only a great boon
to both patients and operators but also an economy.
The appreciation of the patients can be judged by their attendances for dental operations
under general anaesthetics which amount to 22 per session, or approximately 88 per cent, of the
appointments made.
As to the work of the Anaesthetist it may be said that the safe and successful administration
of prolonged anaesthesia to 3,970 cases of all types of mother, children of school age and under, in
various states of health is a colossal number of lives for any single person to be responsible for and is
surely a noteworthy performance.
These comparisons are, however, mentioned to show that the public is recognising more and
more the value and the importance of healthy teeth as a means to a healthy body.
It must be gratifying also for the Council to know that the work which has been quietly and
continuously carried out by their Health Department generally during past years is influencing the
public to this extent.