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27
"The present campaign against malnutrition gives reason to
hope that the means to procure the foods required for health may
be acquired as well as the knowledge of how to make use of them.
In this connection a very limited investigation carried out by your
dental staff during the year may be suggestive. Particulars of this
are given below.
"(c) To be effective, this propaganda work must be accompanied
by a frequent inspection of all children from an early age, and all
defects remedied. As noted before, this is at present impossible.
Even with the limited health education available, the people who
desire treatment do not receive it as often as they need it.
"In addition, it would be necessary to enlarge the scope of the
dental scheme for the dental treatment of nursing or expectant
mothers and to continue the treatment of adolescents for some time
after leaving school.
"(3) A comparison of what has been done with what should
be done does not present a wholly encouraging future. Nevertheless,
a review of the last few years does show that an advance has
been made in obtaining a more widespread dental health consciousness
.
"In 1931, 20,125 children were examined by two dental officers,
13,874 of them being notified as requiring treatment, and the number
of these interested enough to obtain treatment was sufficient to
occupy the time of these officers throughout the year. Last year,
interest had increased to such an extent that only 13,866 examinations,
with 10,443 notifications, were sufficient to occupy the time
of three dental officers, and during the intervening years we have
relied mainly upon the teachers' influence to encourage both children
and parents. This speaks volumes for their assistance and cooperation,
for which we are very grateful.
"The measures which I consider should be taken in order to
achieve a complete dental scheme are as follows:—
"First.—Dental examination and treatment of all children
attending welfare clinics soon after the eruption of a complete
set of teeth, preceded by the treatment of expectant and nursing
mothers. This must be accompanied by more intensive propaganda
work among the mothers.
''Second.—Continued co-operation with the school teachers,
assisted by the lecturers supplied by the Dental Board of the
United Kingdom, and distribution of their leaflets.