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ear, or eczematous conditions of the meatus. It is most important
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.
(g) Dental Defects. In 1931 the routine inspection by the
School Dental Surgeon was extended so as to include all children
attending school.
In 1933 there were 4,527 children dentally inspected in the
routine age groups in school. A further one hundred and thirtyfour
children were inspected as special cases. The total number
of children thus examined amounted to 4,661. This represents
a decrease of six hundred and eleven on the figure for 1932.
There were 3,833, or 82.23%, found to require treatment and
their parents were notified accordingly. During the previous
year the figure was 75.79%.
The number of children actually treated was 2,038 or 53.16%
of those 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 sessions 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 three hundred and, sixty-one half days to treatment
at the Health Centre.
The number of attendances made by children for treatment
amounted to 4,180. This is sixty-nine more than the figure for
the previous year. The average number of children attending
for treatment per session was 11.57, a slight increase over the
figure for 1932.
The total number of fillings amounted to 2,412 or one
hundred and twelve more than during the previous year. The
number of teeth extracted shows an increase of forty-nine, the
total figure for the year being 3,409. Six hundred and forty
general anaesthetics 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
11.57 This is a satisfactory figure and it is gratifying to note that
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