[Report 1931] / School Medical Officer of Health, Cumberland County Council.
- Cumberland County Council
- Date:
- 1931
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1931] / School Medical Officer of Health, Cumberland County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![In the Dental Report for 1930 mention was made and figures were shown proving the fact that the teeth of the entrants of 5 years of age were exhibiting a marked increase of dental caries. This state of affairs still exists, although the figure for this year appears to be lower at 86% in the schools examined. ten Figures are appended showing the percentage in the last years: — 19-21 ... 60% 19-22 ... 77% 1923 ... 00 0^ 1930 ... ... 93% 1931 ... ... 86% At a first glance, this drop in the percentage from 93% in 1930 to 86% in 1931 appears very satisfactory. In reality it is due to an alteration in our method of assessing dental fitness at the school inspection, and not to any improvement in the quality of the mouths presented. Owing to the over- wlielming numbers in infants schools (93 out of every 100) who required multiple extractions, and to the extreme youth of the patients, it was decided in 1930 that in these vounger patients the temporary molars which showed no sign of ahcess or which gave rise to no toothache should be left to exfoliate themselves. In consequence of this the numbers maiked as fit at inspection ’ would be slightly higher than in former years, and could easily account for the 7% fall between tlie 1930 and 1931 figures. There is one class of patient in the infants dejiartment from whom we exact the highest degree of fitness. That is, the patient who has been to us by the Medical Officer as suffering from debility or organic disease. Their mouths are rendered as healthy as possible. Ihe consideration of this marked increase of dental disease in entrants, although really a tecbnical matter in dental research and, therefore, possibly a little out of place m an Annual Report of this nature, is not without its m eies s to those wlio have the chilclren’s education and welfare at lieart. It is, therefore, proposed to indicate a levy observations and facts, in the hope that some record of tliem will be taken by those res])onsible for dental policv.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29132411_0050.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
