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15
Dental Defects.
920 children were treated by the School Dentist under the
Local Education Authority's Scheme and 556 re-treated. Further
98 attended the Dental Clinic and were referred elsewhere for
treatment, e.g., hospital and 28 attended the Clinic but refused
treatment.
It will be seen that 98 cases of dental defects were referred
to Dental Hospital for treatment. These are almost all cases
requiring orthodontic treatment. The percentage of these cases
that get treated is very small, for which there are two chief
reasons.
1. It is difficult in the present dentally ignorant
state of the population to make many parents understand
that there is need for such treatment. Even the gravely
disfiguring deformity of a bad superior protrusion is often
ignored, if the parent suffered from a similar condition, the
argument being that what was good enough for the parent is
good enough for the child.
2. Expense. Orthodontic work requires frequent visits for
adjustment and supervision. The Chief Medical Officer of the
Board recommends that this work should be done at a Dental
Hospital. Except in rare cases in this district, this is out of
the question, the rare cases being almost all the children of
men working on the railways, who get special passes.
What does a days' journey to a London Hospital mean ?
(а). Railway fares for two, mother and child, varying
from 2/3 to 3/-.
(b). Often the expense of some food.
(c). Often the carrying of a toddler or baby who cannot
be left at home.
(d). The loss of a morning's or a day's work, when the
mother is working, and finally a thoroughly exhausting day.
It is no good expecting anything much to be done—it cannot
be—in the present state of unemployment, it is out of the question.