[Report 1934] / School Medical Officer of Health, Kent County Council.

  • Kent (England). County Council. n 50045898.
Date:
1934
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1934] / School Medical Officer of Health, Kent County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Although the “ A ” group shows a slightly higher percentage of referred this year, the really bad mouths were not so marked. Four hundred and seventeen sessions were given to treatment at the two permanent clinics at Sevenoaks and St. Mary Cray and in six temporary clinics. Two sessions per month were spent at the Bexley Heath Centre. The total number of attendances for treatment has been 3,425, with a daily average of 16-4. The number of completely treated children has been approximately seven. A number of new regulation cases has been again undertaken this year and the results of the old cases, some of which have been completed, are very satisfactory. I would again like to thank the teachers in the schools visited for their help, also my attendant for her assistance in the clinics and her work outside. Mr. W. Nicholls (Area No. 1). During the year dental inspections have been carried out at most of the schools in this area. Of the total number of children inspected, approximately 50 per cent, accepted treatment. For the purpose of statistics a certain proportion of children are counted as “ refusals ”. Nevertheless, it would appear that the inspec- tion, at which the dental defects were noted, has resulted in their accepting treatment subsequently, either at the clinic or with a private practitioner. The number of “ refusals ” is accordingly not so high as would seem. I feel obliged to add that in a small proportion of cases where the “ con- sent ” form is marked “ private treatment ” or “ own dentist ” the real aim has been to avoid treatment altogether. It is, however, satisfactory to add that the number of children treated at the permanent clinics at Dartford, Bexley Heath and Welling remains constant. An interesting feature of the work during the period under review is that an increasing number of children are having treatment as the result of school medical inspections, and those who have previously refused to have conservative treatment of permanent and temporary teeth are now having their teeth filled. It is also gratifying to note that parents are availing themselves of the advice of the school dental surgeon : for instance, two cases of dental cyst were referred to hospital for necessary treatment. I should like to express my appreciation of the willing and most useful co-operation which I have received from the head teachers and