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special reference to the 6 year molars. In 1929 the number of
permanent teeth filled were 1,289, and in 1930 was 1,428, an
increase of 139, which is a step in the right direction—preservation
in place of extraction. When a child has a very sensitive
tooth to be filled an injtction is given to make it quite
painless. A very disfiguring condition is the fracture of
the upper central teeth, which is quite common. It is usually
done by falling heavily, being hit in the mouth with a cricket bat,
etc. When a nerve is exposed in such a condition it is extraordinarily
painful, as can be imagined. In these cases usually
the best method of taking out the nerve painlessly is by local injection.
These broken teeth are only extracted when the root
is fractured, which is very uncommon. The usual procedure is
to extract the nerve, fill the root and tooth, so that it is and will
be healthy and useful for the remainder of its life.
Once again the importance of children having healthy and
clean mouths, free from sepsis, must be stressed. This is the first
attribute of the healthy child. Poisons are absorbed into the
system from a dirty mouth and leads to a thoroughly unhealthy,
condition of the whole body, affecting the child both physically
and mentally. When a child starts at school with bad teeth and
does not have them attended to, it is badly handicapped for the
whole of its school life—and after.

During 1930 two sessions per week were devoted to the work
of the Maternity and Child Welfare Centres. Most of the
mothers attending were given nitrous-oxide (gas) for the extraction
of their teeth, except where mouths were clean, when a local