SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 1980
ROYAL BIRTHDAY
****
HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER HAS THANKED THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOR THE IR GOOD WISHES ON HER 80TH BIRTHDAY ON AUGUST 4.
HER MAJESTY SENT HER SINCERE THANKS TO THE GOVERNOR AND TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
SURVEY FINDS CHILDREN IN BETTER DENTAL HEALTH
******
CHILDREN NOWADAYS ARE ENJOYING BETTER DENTAL HEALTH THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS 20 YEARS AGO, DUE IN NO SMALL MEASURE TO THE EFFECT OF WATER FLUORIDATION INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG IN 1961.
THIS WAS ONE OF THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF THE DENTAL SURVEY OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN HONG KONG, CONDUCTED THIS SPRING BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT POINTED OUT THAT THE OBJECT OF THE SURVEY WAS TO MEASURE THE EFFECT OF WATER FLUORIDATION ON DENTAL DECAYS AND TO ASSESS THE STATE OF ORAL HEALTH OF THE PUPILS.
THE SURVEY THIS YEAR REVEALED THAT AN AVERAGE CHILD BETWEEN SIX AND 11 HAD ABOUT ONE PERMANENT DECAYED TOOTH AND THREE SUCH PRIMARY TEETH. THIS COMPARED FAVOURABLY WITH CHILDREN OF THE SAME AGE GROUP TWO DECADES AGO.
A SIMILAR SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED IN 1960, A YEAR BEFORE THE LOCAL WATER WAS FLUORIDATED. RESULT OF THAT STUDY SHOWED THAT THE CHILDREN HAD 3.57 PERMANENT AND 6.38 PRIMARY DECAYED TEETH.
+THIS IMPROVEMENT IN DENTAL HEALTH IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE EFFECT OF WATER FLUORIDATION INTRODUCED 19 YEARS AGO, ASSUMING THAT ALL OTHER VARIABLE FACTORS, INCLUDING PERSONAL DIETARY HABITS, HAVE REMAINED CONSTANT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE LATEST 1980 SURVEY COVERED 6 765 CHILDREN FROM 68 SCHOOLS IN THE TERRITORY, REPRESENTING 1.5 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN OF THAT AGE GROUP.
EXAMINATION WAS CONDUCTED OF THE HARD AND SOFT TISSUES IN AND AROUND THE MOUTH OF THE CHILDREN TO TAKE NOTE OF DENTAL DECAY AND ANY OTHER ABNORMALITIES.
+FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY WOULD BE USEFUL AS A GUIDE FOR PLANNING FUTURE DENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMES IN HONG KONG, SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE
15.