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 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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78
School Dental Service.—Mr. E. V. Haigh, Senior Dental Officer,
reports as follows: —
" It has not been possible to bring the establishment of Dental
Officers up to strength (10 officers = one for each 2,000 of the school
population) although advertisements have been issued inviting Surgeons
to make application for the vacant positions.
" In December we had one full-time Dental Officer and two parttime
officers, each attending one session (2½ hours) weekly.
" Owing to the shortage of Dental Officers, it has only been
possible to visit the Benton Open Air School for the purpose of
inspection.
" Children seen by the doctors at routine medical inspections and
at the School Clinics, who are found to require dental treatment are
referred to the Dental Clinics.
" Urgent cases of toothache reported by the teachers or parents
are given priority and conservative including orthodontic treatment,
is carried out when possible, but in the existing condtiions it is impossible
to provide an adequate and satisfactory service."
Of 2,125 inspections by the Dentists (including special cases) 2,106 (or
99 per cent.) were found to require treatment, compared with 3,310 (or 88
per cent. in 1949), 7,887 (or 68.7 percent.) 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.
In addition to the ordinary dental work of fillings and extractions, 157
regulation plates, 3 crowns, and 18 dentures were supplied. 2,216 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 | 391 | 386 | 98 |
| 6 | 368 | 363 | 98 |
| 7 | 285 | 281 | 98 |
| 8 | 238 | 235 | 98 |
| 9 | 193 | 191 | 99 |
| 10 | 205 | 205 | 100 |
| 11 | 137 | 137 | 100 |
| 12 | 105 | 105 | 100 |
| 13 | 83 | 83 | 100 |
| 14 | 80 | 80 | 100 |
| 15 | 38 | 38 | 100 |
| 16 | 2 | 2 | 100 |
| Total | 2,125 | 2,106 | 99 |
Full details of the dental work are shown in Table V.
Open-air School.—During 1950 the number on roll varied from 81
on 31.12.49 to 76 on 31.12.50. The number of admissions was 29 and the
number of discharges was 34.
Debility without any other defect accounted for a total of only 17
children, of whom 8 were discharged to ordinary schools during the course
of the year and 1 left the district.
When the Open Air School was opened in 1929 it was designed to
serve almost exclusively children who were suffering from debility and
malnutrition, i.e., children with no specific physical defects but who needed
more supervision, rest and nutriments than were provided in the ordinary
schools. In the last few years the character of the school has gradually