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that children with running ears should receive regular treatment.
Here again it is often difficult for parents to carry this
out properly at home. These children attend daily at the
Health Centre until the condition is cured. Where necessary,
operative treatment is provided for the removal of the tonsils
and adenoids.
(h) Dental Treatment. During 1931 the routine inspection
by the School Dental Surgeon w as extended so as to include all
children attending school.
5,139 children were dentally inspected in the routine age
groups in school. A further 133 children were inspected as
special cases. The total number of children thus examined
amounted to 5,272. This represents an increase of 286 over the
figure for 1931. 3,996 or 75.8% were found to require treatment
and their parents notified accordingly. During the previous year
the figure was 77.9%.
The number of children actually treated was 1,918 or 48%
of those who were found to require treatment. It is still difficult
to obtain consent for treatment in a considerable number of
cases. When appointments are not kept visits are paid to the
homes by the School Nurses, and every effort is made to get the
parents to attend with their children at the dental clinic. The
Saturday morning dental clinics which were started during 1930
have been entirely justified, and continue to show a good average
attendance.
Forty-four half days were devoted to dental inspection in
the schools and 376 half days to treatment at the Health Centre.
The number of attendances made by children for treatment
amounted to 4,111. This is 259 more than the figure for the
previous year. The average number of children attending for
treatment per session was 10.9, a slight increase over the figure
for 1931.
The total number of fillings amounted to 2,300, or 232 less
than during the previous year. The number of teeth extracted
shows an increase of 107, the total figure for the year being
3.360. 707 general anæsthetics were administered for dental
extractions.
The work of the Dental Clinic has shown a progressive increase
during the, past four years. All the children attending
school are now dentally inspected annually. The average attendance
per session of children undergoing treatment has risen to
10.9.
This is a satisfactory figure and it is gratifying to note that
the average number of children attending for treatment per
session has been continuously increasing during the past four
years.
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