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38.
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE.
Mr, T. S. Latham resigned his appointment as School
Dental Surgeon in August, 1541. Aroointed as the first fulltime
School Dental Surgeon, Mr. Latham had with unremitting
zeal built up an efficient ccrvlce not only for the school
children but also inaugurated the dental service for children
under 5 years of age, and the dental scheme for nursing and
expectant mothers. His successor, Mr. J. H. Glen, who took
up his appointment in December, 1941, pays tribute in his
report on the year's dental work to the vast amount of work.
accomplished. He draws attention to the ever increasing
demands by higher education scholars to the exclusion of the
elementary scholars with whom the School dental' scheme is
primarily concerned, who have been fortunate if time has been
found to examine them once a year. The higher education
children are examined every six months by the County Dental
Officer and have accounted for some 18 per cent of the total
attendance a (664). The attendances produced 33 Per cent of
the total number of fillings done (554) and 15 per cent of
the permanent extractions (160).
The question of how best to cope with the growing
demands on. the dental services is under consideration at the
tine of writing In order that the statutory obligations to
the elementary school population may bo fulfilled.
The following figures indicate the volume of work
accomplished during 1941 notwithstanding the gap between the
departure of Mr. Latham in August and Mr. Glen's con.mencenent
of duty in December. During this gap we were indebted
to Mr. Falrman J. Ordish whose assistance on a part-time
basis enablnd us to grapple with the stress of urgent cases.
Appointments kept
No. discharged treatment complete
Attendances - Gas extractions
Local "
Denture work
Regulations and other
operations
No. of fillings done
No. of dentures fitted
No. of sessions employed
Total of All
schemes.
4,792
1,819
1,489
2,378
179
750
3,063
3,863
518