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(b) Sunlight.—482 ultra-violet light treatments were given
during the year.
(c) Dental.—Mr. L. W. Elmer, L.D.S., Senior Dental Surgeon,
reports as follows:—
"The scheme for the dental treatment of expectant and
nursing mothers suffers from the same disadvantage as in the
past. This, as ever, is the difficulty of persuading these
patients to receive a prolonged and trying course of treatment
made necessary by years of neglect.
"The problem has indeed been aggravated by the
increased difficulty of obtaining regular dental treatment by
those who desire it.
"It has always seemed to me somewhat absurd to provide
regular dental treatment for females up to school-leaving age,
to give them no encouragement to continue this until they
become expectant mothers, and then expect them to have,
at a difficult period, the concentrated treatment which should
have been unnecessary.
"The disadvantages are so obvious. Either many visits
for conservative work are required or, worse still, multiple
extractions. Either course involves mental and physical disturbance,
the second involving an edentulous period at the
very time when it is essential to avoid digestive disturbances.
"Regular treatment for the adolescent and young woman
appears to me to be the most sensible approach.
"In the case of Walthamstow this problem has been met
to a limited extent by the provision of treatment through the
General Dental Service at the Dental Health Centre. It is
satisfactory to examine the mouths of expectant mothers who
have been regularly treated since childhood and to find little
or nothing needing to be done.
"Where the pre-school children are concerned, the position
is far more satisfactory. The number attending has
increased and a proportion are brought regularly to the clinic
for examinations.
"It was found that an average of less than one tooth per
child needed an extraction whilst an average of two teeth per
child was restored by filling or other method.
"Treated kindly and tactfully, these little children make
very good patients, and the dental surgeon who has been
responsible for this important section of the scheme is to be
congratulated."