London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Ilford 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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74
Continuity of after treatment is secured with the co-operation of teachers
who have been supplied with an explanatory memorandum on the subject
prepared by the Speech Therapist.
School Dental Service.—Mr. E. V. Haigh, Senior Dental Officer,
reports as follows:—
"Since March 1949, the School Dental Service has been served by
one full-time dental officer and two part-time; the two part-time
officers between them have worked three sessions per week, approximately
a total of 7½ hours.
My time at Mayesbrook Dental Clinic as full-time dental officer is
divided between children under school age, children of school age and
tuberculosis cases, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to visit the
schools and inspect the children, and at the present rate, owing to
serious shortage of dental officers, it will be four or five years between
each visit. This lack of visits is responsible for more gross decay and
toothache.
Urgent cases of toothache are given priority, and conservative,
including orthodontic treatment, is carried out when possible, but in
the existing conditions it is clearly impossible to provide an adequate
and satisfactory service."
Of 3,757 inspections by the Dentists (including special cases) 3,310 (or
88 per cent.) were found to require treatment, compared with 7,887 (or
68.7 per cent) in 1948, 7,440 (or 64 per cent.) in 1947, 5,079 (or 69 per cent.)
in 1946, 5,159 (or 64 per cent.) in 1945, 5,914 (or 53 per cent.) in 1944.
In addition to the ordinary dental work of fillings and extractions, 138
regulation plates, 2 crowns, and 15 dentures were supplied. 2,481 visits were
made by children to the Dental Clinic for regulation purposes.
The amount of dental disease present in children at various ages is shown by the following table relating to school-children inspected by the school Dentists:—
| Age-groups (in years) | No. of inspections of children | No. referred for treatment | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 624 | 536 | 85 |
| 6 | 583 | 469 | 80 |
| 7 | 492 | 415 | 84 |
| 8 | 459 | 401 | 87 |
| 9 | 367 | 345 | 94 |
| 10 | 346 | 315 | 91 |
| 11 | 303 | 277 | 91 |
| 12 | 198 | 183 | 92 |
| 13 | 178 | 172 | 96 |
| 14 | 137 | 128 | 93 |
| 15 | 70 | 69 | 98 |
| Total | 3,757 | 3,310 | 88 |
Full details of the dental work are shown in Table V.
Open-air School.—During 1949, 32 children were admitted, 34 ceased
attendance, and on the 31st December, 1949, 81 children were on the school
roll, 4 vacancies remaining unfilled.
Those admitted were recommended for examination from the following
sources:—
School Medical Officer 24
Tuberculosis Officer 3
Rheumatism Clinic 1
Others 4
The above 32 children were admitted for the following reasons:—
School Medical Officer:—
Asthma and Bronchitis 5
Bronchitis, Asthma, and Subnormal nutrition 1