Report of the Commission of Inquiry on the fluoridation of public water supplies.

  • New Zealand. Commission of Inquiry on the Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies.
Date:
[1957]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Commission of Inquiry on the fluoridation of public water supplies. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    al Hi. 47 27. The cost of the National Dental Service for the year ended 31 March 1956 was £1,505,996 exclusive of capital expenditure. It is estimated that the number of children aged 24 to 16 years will be about 712,000 by 1966. If the proportion of children now receiving treatment is unaltered and all other factors remain constant, the cost of the National Dental Service would be not less than £1,830,000 by 1966. 28. Concerning its aims, Dr Bibby said: The immediate aim of the National Dental Service is to ensure a satisfactory standard of dental health as a contribution towards good general health for all children up to 16 years of age. There is provision under the Social Security (Dental Benefits) Regulations for extension of dental care up to 19 years of age. 29. At present the dominant activity working towards this objective is the provision of free examination and treatment at regular intervals for about 90 per cent of the school children and about one-third of the pre-school children. Dr Bibby stated that health education is an integral part of the work of the National Dental Service. Educational booklets, pamphlets, folders, and reprints of newspaper advertisements have been distributed to parents and children according to a carefully planned pattern at an average rate of more than 589,000 items for each of the years 1952 to 1956 inclusive. The material is prepared by the Depart- mental Health Education Committee (see para. 33). In the year ended 31 March 1956 school dental nurses gave 3,027 lectures and addresses to children and parents, and 244 health exhibits and stalls were organised for public functions. School dental nurses spent 36,488 hours in class- room and chairside instruction of children in the care of the teeth. 30. Since the educational work of the Dental Hygiene Division is closely woven into the whole organisation, and no separate vote is made for this activity, it is difficult to estimate the annual expenditure on dental health education. If all administrative and overhead charges are excluded, along with the maintenance of publicity apparatus and the salaries of those handling it, the cost is not less than £28,800 per annum. 31. The evidence of Dr Davies also contained reference to the avail- ability and coverage of dental treatment (Table 7). At 31 March 1955 there were 728 dentists in private practice and 612 school dental nurses. The estimated population aged 5 and under 16 years for the year ended 31 March 1955 was 588,000. Forty-nine per cent of these children were under the care of school dental nurses, 37 per cent were enrolled for regular treatment by dental practitioners under the social security dental benefits scheme, 3 per: cent were treated by dental officers attached to adolescent dental clinics, and 11 per cent received no treat- ment or were treated privately. In the same year the estimated popu- lation aged 2 and under 3 years was 150,000. Thirty per cent of these pre-school children were treated by the school dental nurses and the remainder received no treatment or were treated privately. Several dental witnesses referred to the heavy burden carried by the dental practitioners, who devote a large proportion of their time to the treat- ment of children under 16 years of age and still endeavour to provide complete dental attention for the whole adult population. The figures supplied by Dr Davies suggest that the dental practitioners have the responsibility for about 200,000 children, together with the rest of the population over 16 years, which cannot be less than 1,300,000.
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