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47
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE.
Inspections.
Routine.—A total of 22,410 elementary school children have been inspected by the dental
surgeons during the year. Of this number 6,685 were found on inspection to be free from caries.
The remaining 15,725 who had defective dentitions were all advised as to the necessary treatment.
5,094 received their treatment at the Health Centres and 92 are reported to have been treated at
hospitals or by private dentists.
408 sessions were devoted to routine inspection at the schools where 20,920 children were
inspected and conditions found charted, each child being advised on the care of the teeth and given
a pamphlet for home use.
The average number inspected was 51 per session. It is the practice in Willesden for the
dental officer not only to inspect a given number of scholars but also to include propaganda work at
each inspection. The visits to the schools are considered to be the most opportune time for individual
talks to both parents and scholars. Also the most suitable time to gain the interest and help of the
school teachers. Instilling into the parent the importance of obtaining treatment in the early stages
of disease is perhaps the greatest obstacle which confronts the dental officers. Parents do not realise
that most children require some attention to their teeth every year. Many are still adverse to conservation
work of any kind and others become disappointed and too ready to condemn the work if
a tooth once filled does not remain immune from caries for ever more, forgetting that many teeth have
5 surfaces with 6 vulnerable points of attack for disease. These are some of the problems the dental
surgeons are trying to overcome during the school inspection sessions.
Special Cases.—1,490 children were inspected at the Health Centres. They include those
who were missed at school either through absence from illness or other cause, some whose parents believe
that one annual inspection at the school is not sufficient and a number of "Leavers" who wish for
an overhaul before leaving school. The great bulk of them however, are the children who failed to
take advantage of the advice offered on former occasions and have consequently developed serious
dental lesions requiring immediate attention. This group constitutes the bete noir of the dental
service as their teeth are usually in a very neglected condition. Much of the dental operators' time
which might be given to other children is taken for the correction of defects which should never have
been allowed to occur.
Treatment.
Fillings.—1,219 sessions were devoted to treatment at the Centres. 8,066 fillings were done,
6,978 of which were on permanent teeth and 1,088 temporary teeth.
The materials used for fillings were silver, tin, amalgam, Synthetic and Oxyphosphate cements.
The metal fillings in many cases were used in conjunction with cement lining and zinc oxide protection
to the pulp.
Extractions.—13,467 teeth were extracted. 2,081 of these were permanent teeth which
were removed either on account of extensive caries or for the relief of over crowding of the dental
arches.
Ratio of Fillings.—The proportion of fillings to extractions shows an improvement on that
of the preceding year. During 1930, 2.2 teeth were removed for every tooth filled. In the year
under review (1931) the proportion is as 1.6 extractions to every tooth filling.
Other Operations.—In addition to the above work the returns show that 3,765 other operations
have been performed. These sundry treatments include silver nitrate dressing to temporary
teeth, sedative dressing, gum and root treatment, cleaning and polishing. The total attendances
of the children at the Centres for treatment was 13,433.
Table No. 37 is a summary of the year's work.