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94
recommended by the Board of Education, and 4,531
children were seen.
This year, although a total of 4,685 children have
been examined, two schools have been omitted, as had
they been inspected there would have been no time left
in the year for treatment. Treatment should follow
directly after inspection; a long- delay between creates an
impression of casualness, and also in a long waiting period
the scholars change classes and even schools. This
question will have to be considered.
Last year 58 per cent, required treatment, this year
54 per cent., an improvement due, 1 think, to the fact
that our treatment at the Clinic is trusted and appreciated,
and parents send their children along.
There is a very interesting comparison this year. It
will be remembered that Plaistow Lane K.C. School has
not had the benefit of the Committee's Dental Scheme;
this year was the first dental inspection in the history
of the school, and at my inspection I discovered that very
obvious attention was needed in 84.9 per cent, of the
scholars; the defects were not just caries (small cavities
of decay), but a question of real septic conditions of the
mouth, gum boils, abscess and decaying roots. This
figure of 84.9 per cent, needing treatment must be
compared with the corresponding figure for the remainder
of the Committee's schools, where the figure is 54 per
cent.
From these extreme figures it will be seen that
inspection, treatment and education in dental matters can
very appreciably reduce the ravages of oral sepsis and
dental disease.
We cannot prevent the origin of dental disease, at
the moment our only effective method of control over it
is to treat it as soon as it arises, and hence my regret
that a good number of children have been omitted this
year.
However, seeing that two new schools, Plaistow Lane
R.C., and Prince's Plain, have increased the school
accommodation, this is unavoidable.