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24
hoped to introduce the elements of preventive care to mothers before their
children's teeth start to decay. The dental auxiliary talks to the mother
whilst she is waiting to see the doctor. In addition to dental health
education an appointment is offered for the child to have treatment if this is
needed. This aspect of the service is being extended in the New Year to other
clinics. In addition, talks have been given to some mothers' groups.
The number of children inspected again went up. The figure of 968
children seen represents 71 more than in 1967, which was itself 275 more than
in 1966. An increase of 50 per cent in two years is a welcome trend. As
previously, just over half of the children required treatment. Such an inspection
service for young children is absolutely essential. It is too late to
leave it until they go to school, as can be seen from the following figures.
During the year a sample of over 2,000 five-year-old children were examined.
The following results were noted:-
Number of children 2,074
Total number of decayed and untreated teeth 5,165
Number of these requiring extraction 244
Number of missing teeth 1,104
Number of filled teeth 1,436
The average child thus had a total of 3.7 teeth which were decayed,
missing and/or filled at the time of entering school. Every second child
already had a tooth extracted. This really points the way to the need for
massive preventive campaigns for young children prior to their entering
school. It also emphasises the possible need for fluoridation. Only 40% of
the children had healthy gums, so thought must be given not only to preventing
tooth decay, but gum disease as well.
There was a slight rise in the number of children attending for treatment
- 400 more than in 1967. There was a welcome decrease in the number of visits
for general anaesthetics. Nevertheless one in 12 of the children treated
needed this form of treatment, so that there is still a long way to go. It
is gratifying to record this decrease in anaesthesia in spite of the vast
increase in attendances for emergency care.
Less children were made dentally fit and one would like to assess the
reason for this. One reason may be the changed emphasis in treatment. In the
old days it was easy for the child to attend for one visit to have a number of
extractions and thus be made "dentally fit". Nowadays children's dentistry
makes it necessary for children to attend on a number of occasions to arrest
the ravages of dental disease. After a few visits mothers sometimes feel that
they have had enough for the time being and do not always bring the child back
for completion of the treatment.
The average number of fillings per child was 2.0 as opposed to 1.9 in
1967. The ratio of teeth filled to teeth extracted has also risen; 6.5:1 as
opposed to 4.9:1 last year. This is a highly desirable trend, once again
demonstrating the increased emphasis on restorative rather than destructive
dentistry. Another welcome increase has been in preventive care partially
shown by the massive increase in prophylaxis (polishing of teeth to prevent
gum disease as well as decay).
There was a considerable decrease in the number of expectant and nursing
mothers seen. The practice is for the medical officer examining an expectant
mother at an ante-natal session to enquire if she attends her own dentist
regularly. If she does not, arrangements are made for the expectant mother
to attend one of the Council's surgeries. It is hoped that the remaining
expectant and nursing mothers in Hackney go to a general dental practitioner
and thus have no need for the Council's service, but this is doubtful. Here
too the trend has been towards restorative dentistry with the ratio of 3.4
fillings to each extraction in 1967 rising to 4.4:1. There was an increase in
the number of advanced restorative techniques (crowns and inlays).