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should consist of one dentist for 5,000 children in an urban
area, and 4,000 children in a rural area, although this is
insufficient where a high percentage of parents accept treatment
for their children. The Board look to Authorities^ to
examine their present arrangements with a view to securing
that their dental staff does not fall short of the requirements
of their areas.
The number of children on the school registers on 31st
December, 1935, was 17,845, while 1,465 secondary and technical
pupils were also under dental care, a total of 19,310,
for which the staff required by the Board would be four
dental surgeons. The treatment acceptance rate is normal,
and in addition an increasing amount of treatment is being
given under the Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme to
expectant and nursing mothers and to pre-school children.
The result is that the annual dental re-inspections in the
schools are not possible because the dental staff is fully
occupied with treatment, and inspections are spaced so as
to maintain the requisite number of treatment acceptances.
The maximum interval between dental inspections in some
departments has been two years.
A third dental surgeon and an attendant were appointed
during the year and assumed duty on August 12th. Concurrently
Mr. L. W. Elmer, L.D.S., was appointed senior
dental surgeon.
Your Committee also decided, in view of the increased
staffing, not to press the restriction of treatment for children
whose parents refused treatment following previous dental
inspections. This restriction had become operative following
the comments of the Board upon the dental services and the
inadequacy of the staff to provide a complete service for the
whole area. Your Committee also decided to suspend the
circulation to Head Teachers of particulars showing the
number of acceptances at each school following dental inspection.
Instead, Head Teachers were requested to follow
up as far as possible all refusals of dental treatment.
Treatment of Secondary and Technical Scholars.—With
effect from 1st October, 1935, the Essex Education Committee
accepted your Committee's offer to undertake a comprehensive
scheme of dental inspection and treatment of Walthamstow
secondary and technical pupils for a period of one
year, in the first instance, at a cost of fl20.
The number of pupils involved was stated on 26th September
to be as follows:—