[Report 1922] / School Medical Officer, Northamptonshire County Council.

  • Northamptonshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1922
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1922] / School Medical Officer, Northamptonshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Boys. Girls. “ Coloboma of Iris ... ... ... 1 — “ Concussion of Retina ... ... ... 1 1 “Choroiditis, Congenital ... ... ... — 1” (1) Dental Defect. The proportion of school children found on routine inspections with sound teeth amounted to only 28-45 per cent, as against 33-55 per cent, in 1921, 31-85 per cent, in 1920, and 32-42 per cent, in 1919. In 28-88 per cent, of the children examined four or more teeth were found to be decayed. The Scheme for Dental treatment has been in operation through¬ out the year. During this time the School Dentist examined children between the ages of six and nine years attending 181 departments. In this connection, it should be pointed out that the School Dentist inspected practically the whole of the larger schools during the year. The Dentist’s time was divided between inspection and treat¬ ment—roughly in the proportion of one to two. About one-third of the children examined and needing treatment were actually treated by him. The number treated by private dentists is prac¬ tically negligible, so that, if all children needing treatment received it, five of the six working days in each week at least would be required for such treatment. Of almost all the two-thirds who were not treated it is reported that the parents were either indifferent or objected to treatment, though this indifference was less marked in 1922 than in 1921. Dental inspection and treatment was begun in September, 1920. It was decided to start with the children aged six to eight, and the inspection of this age group was completed by the beginning of March, 1922, i.e. in a period of about eighteen months. On the second round of inspections, which is now in progress, children of six to eight are being examined, and those who were previously seen and who are now eighteen months older are being re-examined. This round, it is anticipated, will again take 18 months to complete.