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50
MEDICAL TREATMENT—DENTAL DEFECTS.
Report of the School Dental Surgeon.
During the year the pressure of the increasing demands of
the Dental Scheme has been acutely experienced, and various
means adopted to deal with the large number of children seeking
treatment.
A well trained staff working as a team is an essential for
rapid and efficient Dental Clinic work.
The output of work suffered to some extent by the difficulty
experienced in getting a satisfactory Dental Clerk Attendant in
the early months of the year, but a very efficient Dental Attendant
was finally appointed in September, 1931, which appointment has
enabled me to increase output latterly.
This experience of the difficulty in securing satisfactory
assistance has led me to the conclusion that the time has come
when junior Dental Clinic Clerk-Attendants should be appointed
to be trained up to the work, to avoid disturbing the continuity
of the Clinic work as far as possible.
I put the preliminary qualifications for such female " apprentices
" as:—minimum age 16, useful knowledge of shorthandtypewriting,
personality (for dealing with mothers and children in
connection with the trials of dental treatment), good teeth, legible
writing and accuracy at simple arithmetic.
The number of cases awaiting treatment at the end of the
year was rather large, and the consideration of the appointment
of an additional half-time Dental Surgeon cannot be much longer
delayed if the demands of the work are to be met.
The work divides itself into sections:—
1. Inspection.
2. Conservative Treatment.
3. Treatment by Extractions, with and without general
anaesthetics.
4. Orthodontic Treatment.
5. Other operations.
The number of children inspected—6,804, is somewhat higher
than last year's figure. Of these 5,152 were found to require
treatment, or 75.72 per cent. In the Annual Report of Sir George
Newman for 1930—" The Health of the School Child," the findings
throughout the country show that 69.5 per cent. of the children
inspected required treatment.