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39
Ophthalmic Clinic.
Number of children and adolescents seen 1,452
Number who had left school 180
Errors of refraction (including squint) 1,258
Other defects or disease of the eye 46
Number of cases of Strabismus 260
Number of cases with no defect, or defect not
requiring treatment 152
Number of pupils for whom spectacles were—
(а) Prescribed 950
(b) Obtained 932
The work of the clinic has continued with increased popularity.
The importance of ascertaining squint as early as possible is stressed,
and in this connection special examination at Toddler Clinics has
been started to discover early cases. This scheme is proving
successful.
DENTAL SERVICE.
I am indebted to Mr. V. Sainty, L.D.S., Senior Dental Surgeon,
for the following report:—
A comparison of this year's statistics with those of 1946 shows
only minor changes; as the number of dental officers remains at four,
and as there has been little change in the school population, this is
as would be expected. Such differences as do occur are significant
in that they show a definite improvement in the condition of the
children's teeth, coupled with an increase in the acceptance rate.
The following figures will confirm this statement :—
(1) Several hundred more children were inspected this year,
but the percentage requiring treatment dropped from almost
60 to just over 50 per cent.
(2) The number of individual children actually treated was
practically identical with that of 1946, but 1,100 more attendances
were made; thus more children continued attending the clinics until
completion of treatment, with consequently fewer broken
appointments.
(3) The ratio of permanent teeth filled to extracted was nearly
five to one as against four to one in 1946. The extraction figures
include those teeth removed for orthodontic purposes.