London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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East Ham 1934

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]

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197
this method during the past year. The very difficult or abstruse
cases requiring- X-Ray, etc., are referred to Guy's Hospital or
the London Hospital.
It is interesting to note that the percentage of children with
sound mouths has risen from 23 per cent in 1923 to 32 per cent
in 1934. This is a very gratifying result and one which shows
a steady improvement of the mouths of the children inspected.
The parents to-day take much more care and interest in the
dental treatment of their children than they did 10 years ago,
and there is a great improvement in cleanliness and the oral conditions
of the school children. It is very rare to-day to see a
really septic mouth, whereas in 1924 it was only too common.
During the year 1935, owing to a slight decrease in the school
population, the age groups to be inspected will be increased to
include the 12 year group, thus bringing the age groups from 5
years to 12 years inclusive.

Maternity and Child Welfare Centre.

Statistical details of the dental work carried out for the Maternity and Child Welfare Centres are shown in the following

table:—

No. of Sessions devoted to Treatment.No. of Attendances.No. of Permanent Teeth.No of Temporary Teeth.Total No. of Extractions.Total No. of FillingsNo. of Administrations of General Anaesthetics.No. of other Operations.
AdultsChildren.Extracted.Filled.Extracted.Filled.Permanent Teeth.Temporary Teeth.
92215616312529451591,2572116211901

Two sessions per week have been devoted to the cases referred
from the Maternity and Child Welfare Centres. These are
children under 5 years of age and mothers. In the case of the
children the temporary teeth are extracted by local injection or
by freezing, and fillings done where necessary and where possible.
Mothers obtain complete treatment, extractions are mostly done
under gas and sometimes by local injection, and necessary fillings
are carried out. Dentures are supplied when necessary.