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Defective Vision
Dr. Helen Casey, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, in her report states : "I think
it is noteworthy that the age of the patient is getting younger. Quite a number of
babies attend for investigation of strabismus. It is an excellent idea, as it cannot be too
much emphasized, that the treatment of strabismus should begin more or less from the
age of one year. Binocular function must be established very early in life. Certainly
from the point of view of a preventive health service the evidence grows of the success
of the pre-school medical examination in relation to the care of children's eyes.
These babies, if squints, are refracted under atropine, fundi examined, and glasses
or orthoptic supervision or early surgery arranged at the hospital of the patient's choice.
Dr. P. T. Clover, at the Royal Hospital, Richmond, and the Royal Eye Hospital
Surbiton, is very helpful, as well as Mr. Kapur and Mr. Langley at the West Middlesex
Hospital."
Dental Treatment — Expectant and Nursing Mothers and Children.
Mr. G. Tucker, L.D.S., R.C.S., Chief Dental Officer, reports as follows:
It will be seen from, page 5 that there were 2,833 births to mothers living in
the borough during 1965. From the Department of Education and Science's quinquennial
surveys carried out in the past in Twickenham it can be assumed that at least
90% of these children will have some dental decay by the time they reach school age.
The average number of decayed, extracted or filled teeth per child at this age is 5.
Assuming that the birth rate will remain roughly the same and in spite of there being
about 0.3 p.p.m fluoride in the water supplies in the Borough, the problem facing the
community is in the order of 10,000 decayed teeth every year in children aged 4 years
alone. The addition of 0.7 p.p.m. fluoride to the water supply would be expected to
halve this incidence of dental disease.
Only 3 51 children under 5 years old were brought to the dental clinics by parents
seeking treatment during the year. Of these children 102 did not require treatment,
which shows that a good proportion of mothers who do bring their children to the clinic
do so early enough for them to become used to dental procedures before dental disease
becomes visible in the mouth.

The family dentist obviously has a large part to play in this sphere, but methods
will have to be found to increase the number of mothers seeking advice and treatment
for their young children. These children are otherwise not treated until they are in
pain, or after inspection at school, when it may be too late for conservative treatment
to be successful.