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will be performed in these premises, in specially equipped dental
clinics. In January, 1931, dental treatment was begun for expectant
and nursing mothers (up to 6 months after confinement).
Every effort is made, in the dental treatment of the young children,
to preserve the primary teeth; necessary extractions are done
under nitrous oxide gas anaesthesia. Once a child has
attended the Dental Clinic for treatment, subsequent appointments
are made at regular intervals until the child enters school,
to prevent the development of further dental caries.
As a result of this more intensive treatment, one finds that
the number of extractions per child has been very considerably
reduced, e.g. it was common two or three years ago at the "Gas
Clinic" to find that most children required many extractions to
clear the mouth of infected teeth. Now this is a much less common
occurrence : the majority of children have previously attended
for fillings. Extraction of two or three teeth, too decayed for
conservative treatment, completes the treatment, after which the
child is kept under observation.
Attendances for Dental Treatment in 1930.
No. of attendances for dental treatment 2470
Average attendance per child 4
No. of attendances for extraction 414
No of teeth extracted 1639
No. of attendances for fillings 1601
No. of teeth filled 1745
No. of attendances for examination (special dressings,
silver nitrate dressing, etc.) 457
No. of new cases treated 747
Distribution of Dried Milk to Expectant and Nursing Mothers,
and to Children under 3 years of age, during the Year 1930.
This branch of the Council's service has now been in operation
for over ten years, and is carried out in accordance with
Circular 185 of the Ministry of Health. Every care is exercised
to see that only residents of the Borough entitied to supplies participate
in the Council's scheme.
The Municipal Distributing Centres have not been altered
since my last report, and are as follows:—
84 West Ham Lane, Stratford.
Public Hall, Barking Road, Canning Town.
Nurses' Home, Howards Road, Plaistow.
Barnwood Road, Silvertown.
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