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107
In consequence of these recommendations, I was asked to
report to the Education Committee, and my report was as
follows:—
"Dental and Orthopædic Treatment.
(a) The Appointment of an Additional Dentist.— The number
of school children inspected by the dentist in 1927 was 8,729, and
the number treated 2,496. The number of children in daily
school attendance on an average for the past six months is 12,668.
The Dentist, therefore, is supposed to deal with 7,668 more children
than the Board's estimate. When a whole-time school dentist
was first appointed in 1920, there were 4,520 less children on
the school rolls than at the present date. The only time which
the dentist gives to other work is one half-day a week to Maternity
and Infant Welfare work, and one half-day a fortnight to
tuberculosis work. If he were relieved from either or both of these
there would not be much increase in the number of school children
inspected and treated. The School Dental work is limited
in the following ways:—
(1) Only children from the ages of 5 to 11 years can be
inspected and treated.
(2) The children in each school can only be inspected every
fifteen months.
(3) Only 45.9 per cent. of the parents whose children require
dental treatment accepted such treatment in 1926. (The
percentage of acceptances in 1927 was 50.1, and in 1928
was 39.5.)
The Board's Medical Officer was of opinion that if another
Dentist were appointed, (a) educational work could be done, e.g.,
by the Dentist interviewing parents at the schools, and thus
obtaining their consent for treatment to be carried out; (b) the
children could be more frequently inspected, and a more systematic
following up of those already treated could be arranged than is