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52
DENTAL INSPECTIONS
An intensive attempt was made to inspect the whole school population
but it was only possible to examine 63.4 per cent. However this was a vast
improvement on the 27 per cent recorded in 1966. Of those examined 70 per
cent required treatment, slightly less than the 75.9 per cent recorded last
year. Of the children replying to an offer of treatment, approximately 65
per cent have elected to receive it from the School Dental Service.
TREATMENT
8,984 children attended surgeries on 32,113 occasions to receive
26,317 fillings and to have 4,978 teeth extracted. These figures indicate
improvement over 1966. In spite of the enormous amount of time taken up by
school inspections there was still an increase of 984 visits, with 71 more
fillings and 1, 398 fewer extractions. This last figure is the highlight of
1967. A very real attempt has been made to retain that which was previously
regarded as unsavable.

There is thus a vast reduction in the number of extractions from the
younger age groups. A welcome result is that there was a reduction of 395
in the number of individual general anaesthetics, and 6. 2 sessions. The number
of sessions would have been far less in view of the reduced number of children,
but the opportunity has been taken to cut down the average number of patients
attending per session. Nevertheless 21.5 per cent of all anaesthetics in the
I.L.E.A. area were administered in Hackney, a reduction of 2.4 per cent over
1966.
The ratio of teeth filled to teeth extracted was 11.34:1 for permanent
teeth and 2.27:1 for deciduous ones, against 8.0:1 and 1.7:1 respectively in
1966. The emphasis has thus changed from extraction to conservation, a clear
improvement.
Although there was a reduction of 1,340 in the number of children treated,
the number made dentally fit rose by 2,116 (equivalent to 93 per cent of the
total treated), against 60.5 per cent in 1966, a phenomenal advance.
ORTHODONTICS
The total number of orthodontic cases treated increased by 74. The number
of completed cases also went up. Althougn fewer removable appliances were
fitted, over twice as many children were fitted with more complex fixed appliances.
This would indicate that more severe cases are being treated by the
service. This is borne out by the fact that the number of pupils who had to
be referred to hospital went down by two thirds.
Orthodontic treatment was shared between a sessional orthodontist, the
Principal School Dental Officer, and two other dental officers. As mentioned
above there is an increase in this aspect of the work. 10.7 per cent of children
aged 8 years or more examined at school presented orthodontic anomalies. It
is therefore felt that the time has now come to consolidate this work, and a
full-time post of orthodontist has been established, to come into effect some
time during 1968.