hospitals, in Her Majesty's Prisons and to the public at certain of the Government outpatient clinics. The work of the General Dental Service is shown in Table 19.
TABLE 19
WORK OF THE GENERAL DENTAL SERvice 1961-62
1967
1942
Dental Surgeries in operation
Attendance by Government Officers
320 52.039
32*
52.974
Attendance by Dependants of Government
Officers
52,4×7 58,807
25.797 26.896
Attendances by General Public
Total Attendances
130,323 138,377
* Includes Tai O Dental Clinic und part-time only,
230. A Dental Officer and Dental Nurse, operating in each of six school dental clinics, have provided a service for participants in the School Health Service, It is worthy of note that the proportion of extrac- tions to fillings of deciduous reath felt in 1962 to 1.8 to I compared with almost 2 to 1 in 1961. Also, the number of fillings compared with extractions of permanent teeth rose from 7.9 to I în 1961 to 10.4 to 1 in 1962.
Dental Epidemiology
231. In connexion with the programme of fluoridation of water supplies, which began in March 1961, a second survey of the dental health of children was carried out in 1962. This survey emphasized the high decay rate of children's teeth and the great disparity between the prevalence of dental caries among children and their use of conservative dental care. Children of six to eight years of age were found to have an average of 8.41 deciduous teeth affected by dental caries. An average of nearly one tooth per child had been extracted, but only one child in Twenty-five had had a deciduous tooth filled. Children nine to eleven years of age were found to have an average of 3.49 carious permanent teeth, some of which had already been extracted, yet only about five out of every thousand of these decayed teeth had been filled,
232. It is confidently anticipated that the scheme of fluoridation of water supplies in which the fluoride level of mains water in the urban areas has been adjusted to the optimum for dental health will bring about a marked improvement in the teeth of children and in particular those born in 1961 and subsequent years. In the meantime dental caries con- tinues to remain a problem in Hong Kong, especially amongst younger children.
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Dental Health Education
233. During 1962, the Hong Kong Dental Society again sponsored a Dental Health Week, from 22nd to 29th September, 1962. This week, during which the aim was to acquaint children with four rules for dental health, was an outstanding success. Various methods of publicity were employed and, according to a survey assessment made by the Society shortly afterwards, the competition had made a substantial impression, more than half the children interviewed being able to recite the basic dental health rules.
234. In January 1963, a dental health exhibition staffel by dental officers and auxiliaries was held as part of the Agricultural Show in Tung Chung, Lantau Island. Demonstrations of oral hygiene methods were given to villagers and fisherfolk of the district and to the visitors from further afield who attended the show.
235. In addition to these special drives, a continuous programnic of dental health education was maintained in dental clinics throughout the Colony,
Dental Services provided by Private Agencies
236. A number of welfare organizations maintain free or very low cost dental clinics for the poor. Some of these are staffed voluntarily by Government and private dentists and Dental Officers of the Armed Forces stationed in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Dental Society operates three free clinics during seven evening sessions per week, as well as providing volunteer staff for the Ruttonjce Sanatorium. The St. John Ambulance Drigade gives free treatment at its Hong Kong Headquarters Dental Clinic and at the Sandy Bay Convalescent Home. The Brigade also includes volunteer dentists among the personnel of its Penetration Squads which visit distant areas of the New Territories to carry treatment to people remote from ordinary medical and dental care. The Lutheran World Service and The Church World Service each operate a mobile dental clinic. These mobile low-cost dental services fulfil a very great need among the under-privileged people in resettlement areas, orphan- ages and the rural areas of the New Territories where very few dentists are in practice.
Control of Dental Practice
237. Two Dental Inspectors were employed throughout the year for the supervision and control of dental practice, carrying out regular in- spections of premises. There was one prosecution for alleged illegal practice of dentistry, and one person was convicted under the Registra tion of Dentists Ordinance, 1959.
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