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49
Percentage of defects followed up needing treatment which were
known to have received treatment 62%
No report available 56
Number of defects for which no treatment has been undertaken
at Health Visitor's final visit 2,675
Carried forward to 1933 603
Number not needing treatment 67
Educational.
Educational work has proceeded along lines similar to the previous year, and pamphlets on
mouth hygiene and diet have been issued to the parents and scholars both at the Centres and Schools.
Arrangements have been made for the Dental Board's demonstrations to be exhibited at a number
of schools during 1933, and in addition all children leaving school within the year are to be given the
booklet " What about your teeth ? " which is also supplied free by the Dental Board.
Board of Education.
The Chief Medical Officer, in his Annual Report for 1931, " The Health of the School Child,"
invites school dentists to assist in an investigation of those children in 12-13 age group, who are
naturally free from dental caries. Arrangements have been made to collect all the information
possible which is likely to prove of use in this enquiry.
Opinions have also been asked as to the practicability of excluding from the dental scheme
all those children whose parents continually ignore the advice given them at the routine inspections.
For, so long as provision is made for the removal of aching teeth, so long will the parents obstinately
refuse to have anything done in the nature of conservative work. On the other hand, if treatment at
the Centres is withheld the parents may then be forced to attach more importance to the early detection
and treatment of dental caries.
The view of the Dental Officers here is that the parents do tend to minimise the reports received
from the school examination, knowing full well that they can attend the Centres should any trouble
intervene. But the problem is not likely to be solved by closing the Centres to them, since this
district, unlike many provincial areas, is relatively close to dental hospitals and institutions where
urgent treatment can always be obtained.
No doubt many do successfully evade us in this way throughout their school life. The best
course to pursue at present seems to be to try to overcome the fear, prejudice and ignorance which is
the cause of the indifference to routine inspection reports. A child in distress with aching teeth no
doubt does provide a wonderful opportunity of reform, and a considerable number are converted
into routine cases.
At our Centres during the last two years facilities for early relief by extraction have been
increased, yet extractions and special cases have fallen while the number of routine cases and fillings
have increased.
Below is a table showing these results :—

PART III.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The returns show that marked progress has been made. 648 mothers and 471 infants were
inspected at the Centres, which with 216 incompleted cases from the previous year make a total of
1,335. This is an increase of 226 over the corresponding figure of the year 1931. 700 of these had
their treatment completed at the Centres, 67 commenced treatment and had offending teeth removed,
but did not return to be completed and were removed from observation. 3 were treated by outside
agencies, 40 had no defects, 2 of whom were expectant mothers ; 260 did not return for treatment,
leaving 265 carried on to 1933.