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153
REPORT ON THE WORK DONE IN THE SCHOOL
DENTAL CLINIC.
To the School Medical Officer,
County Borough of East Ham,
Education Committee.
Sir,
I have much pleasure in submitting to you my report on the
work done in the Dental Clinic for the year 1933.
The age groups inspected have been those from 5 years to
11 years inclusive. All these children have been inspected once
during the year and treatment offered where necessary, attendance
being kept in strict rotation. The number of children inspected
was 11,811 and the number referred for treatment was 8,133. To
these figures must be added those cases of toothache and oral
sepsis, referred by the School Medical Officers and Head Teachers,
which number 332. All these cases are over 11 years of age and
come under the heading of " specials."
Details will be found in the following statistical table:—
TABLE IV.
Group V. Dental Defects.
The dental inspection of school children is carried out so that
each child is examined once a year. It sometimes happens that
an inspection coincides with an epidemic when a large number
of children are absent, then the absentees are inspected at some
suitable future date. Inspection time is a good opportunity to
talk to the children individually and try to obtain their confidence,
especially those with very dirty and septic mouths. Two sessions
per week are devoted to inspection.
All treatment is carried out so that pain is almost eliminated.
Teeth both temporary and permanent are filled when possible, and,
in the case of sensitive permanent teeth, injections are given to
make it painless. An injection is given for the extraction of most
temporary teeth and some permanent teeth, except where sepsis
is present, when gas is given for permanent teeth and local ethylchloride
for temporary teeth. Sometimes a child is very nervous