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23
very much upon the acceptance rate. We have not that advantage which the
close co-operation of Care Committees gives in some areas.
Our children are quite often better acceptors of treatment than the parents.
It is quite a common occurrence for the child to submit to treatment
willingly and leave the surgery apparently quite happy, only to find the parent
visibly distressed.
Most of the fear in the child is instilled into it by the parent. It is
striking that the bulk of our figures each year are made up by those children
who have been treated from an early age and who return periodically for
treatment. As an example, I have one child, a girl, for whom I filled no fewer
than 16 teeth. What would have happened to this child had the parents not
consented to treatment can well be imagined. The child of an intelligent
parent will generally prove quite a stoic even should the operation be painful.
Bearing in mind the extreme importance of the teeth upon the health of
the body, it is unfortunate that there are no facilities for treatment under the
health insurance scheme after leaving school. Benefits under this scheme arc
not available for several years. During that time most of the damage is done.
Dental Caries is more rapid in the young, and it seems to me that more effective
treatment could be obtained at less expense to the scheme by administrating
the benefits during these critical years. So also could the maximum advantage
be gained from the treatment given during the school life, whereas now, much
of it may be discounted through inability to secure a continuance of this
periodical treatment.''
In Table IV, Group V, it will be noted that the routine inspections at the
schools totalled 7,772 : invitations to the parents to be present were given, and
1,786 parents accepted this invite, a percentage of 23.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Detection.
Children of school age suspected to be suffering from an infectious complaint,
may be sent by the Head Teacher or the Attendance Officer to the Town
Hall any morning at 10 to be seen by the Medical Officer of Health.
This service is for the benefit of the Education Authority and not that, of
the parent, hence a Clinic Card is required.