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115
of' children must have suffered for lack of a service such
as we are giving.
I am inclined to think that where these young children
are concerned, the parent is more relieved than the
child when a painful tooth is removed, as a had tooth
means many days and nights of distress for the parent as
well as the patient.
Mothers.
The newly established Midwifery Service includes
dental treatment in its benefits and so we now have to
provide for patients under this service in addition to our
Welfare mothers.
At present the work is mainly extractions with gas
and a certain number of fillings and scalings.
With a very large number of these patients no dental
treatment has ever been received and we find that at the
age of thirty or so the only possible treatment is total
extraction.
At the moment we rather leave our patients unfinished,
as we do not provide artificial teeth of any sort
and one feels it is a little unsatisfactory to dismiss them
toothless and to take no further interest; perhaps in the
near future, arrangements might be considered for provision
of dentures.
The mothers' attendance this year was 232 and 63
were fully treated with the exception, of course, of
dentures.
Conclusion.
Lastly, may I express by appreciation of the assistance
given me by the Committee and the staff.
May 1 also express my thanks to the Voluntary
Workers who give such practical service; it is a fact that,
without their help, we could not carry on the gas sessions.
T. S. Latham, L.D.S., Eng.,
School Dental Officer.