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20
inspection been carried out in a dental surgery rather than in school the
picture would have been even more bleak. With ideal lighting conditions and
using radiographic methods of diagnosis more decayed teeth would undoubtedly
have been detected. At five years, every second child had already had a tooth
extracted. It is disappointing to note that more teeth have been removed than
filled. This really shows that it is too late to wait until a child enters
school before giving dental health education or using any other preventive
measures. It really points the way to the need for a massive preventive
campaign for young children prior to their entering school, and for encouragement
to bring them to a dentist early enough to save their teeth rather than
subjecting them to the unpleasantness of having extractions, often accompanied
by an equally unpleasant general anaesthetic.
It also emphasises the absolutely urgent need for fluoridation. The
Council has appealed to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Security
to take this matter out of the political arena, and to introduce legislation
in Parliament.
Many children were found to have unhealthy gums, so thought must be
given not only to preventing tooth decay, but gum disease as well.
There was an increase in the number of children attending for treatment;
184 more than in 1968. The decrease in the number of children needing general
anaesthetics was very welcome. One in twenty-six of the children treated
in 1969 needed this form of treatment against one in twelve in the previous
year. It is gratifying to record this decrease in general anaesthesia in
spite of the increase in attendances for emergency care, which means that
the dental officers are finding other modern ways of treating child patients.
Most depressing is the fact that 668 appointments were simply not kept.
This means that at such times dentists are wasting their time instead of
treating patients. There is little in this day and age that can be done
about it.
The ratio of teeth filled to teeth extracted has risen. It was 10.4: 1
as opposed to 6.5 : 1 last year. This is well above the national average and
is a highly desirable trend, once again demonstrating the increased emphasis
on restorative rather than destructive dentistry. It is no doubt helped by
the way in which the authority allows its dental officers to go on postgraduate
courses and conferences. The acquisition of modern advanced knowledge
and techniques which is gained helps the dentists to save many teeth. Dental
officers are very thankful for this, as I am sure are their patients. 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 tooth decay. With more of such measures which tend to be increasingly
practised by the younger dentists far less actual treatment would be needed.
However, in these days when the community is so orientated to statistics and
output, it is difficult for the dental officer to practise prevention when
officialdom tends to look at his work in terms of productivity of fillings or
teeth taken out.
There was a slight increase in the number of expectant and nursing
mothers seen. The practice is for medical officers examining an expectant
mother at ante-natal sessions to enquire if she attends her own dentist
regularly. If so she is encouraged to continue. However if she does not have
a family practitioner, arrangements are made for her to attend one of the
Council's surgeries. The ratio of teeth filled to teeth extracted in mothers
has fallen from 4.1: 1 to 2.4 : 1. This is because those mothers that come
to Council surgeries are the ones who have really neglected their teeth and
have seldom been to a dentist. Nothing short of a miracle could prevent the
loss of most of their teeth. It is only to be hoped that the lessons they
gain in coming to the dentist at this time will make them even more aware of
the need to preserve their children's teeth.