H.—3l

Statistics. Operations performed in the field and in the training-school from Ist January to 31st December, 1936 :— Fillings— In permanent teeth . . .. . . .. .. 225, 015 In deciduous teeth .. .. .. .. .. 273,106 Extractions— 498,121 Of permanent teeth . . .. .. . . .. 1, 600 Of deciduous teeth .. .. .. .. .. 70,488 — 72,088 Other operations .. .. ~ .. .. 154,860 Total operations .. .. .. .. 725,069 The following figures illustrate the progress made during the last seven years :-

These figures include the years of acute financial stringency, during which the annual extension of the service to new districts became impossible. It is satisfactory to note that no ground has been lost, and that, on the contrary, the figures disclose a small but steady increase each year. Total number of operations since the inception of the service, 5,964,348. Ratio ov Extractions to Fillings. The number of teeth extracted as unsaveable as compared with the number of fillings performed shows a further gratifying decrease. The figure for the year under review is 14-6 extractions per 100 fillings. The steady decrease since the inception of the service is shown in the following table : — : Ratio : Fillings. Extractions. Extractions per Hundred Fillings. 1921-22 .. .. .. .. 13,047 14,939 114-5 1922-23 .. .. ..24,603 25,436 103-3 1923-24 .. .. .. 47,61.0 37,978 79-7 .1924-25 .. •• 59,322 43,181 72-6 1925-26 .. .. 61,506 41,339 67-2 1.926-27 .. .. .. .. 84,723 53,232 62-8 1927-28 .. .. .. 116,916 66,523 56-8 1928-29 .. .. 146,354 76,555 52-3 1929-30 .. .. 190,934 71,128 37-2 1930-3] .. .. .. 258,546 75,973 25-5 1931-32 .. .. 334,827 80,389 24-0 1932-33 .. .. ..382.289 74,633 19-5 1933-34 .. .. .. 397,437 69,208 17-4 1934-35 .. .. 399,560 70,207 17-5 1935-36 .. .. 450,727 72,782 16-1 1936-37 .. .. .. 498,121 72,088 14-6' Trainings of Dental Nubses. The following is an extract from the report of the Acting Superintendent of the Wellington Clime and Training-school for Dental Nurses (Mr. A. D. Brice, 8.D.5.) :— " The Superintendent, Dr. J. B. Bibby, returned from his extended tour abroad in December, 1936, since when he has been engaged on special duty, chiefly in connection with the development of the plans for the new building. " The year under review has been a momentous one by virtue of the appointment of the largest number of student dental nurses in the history of the training-school. It has not been without its difficulties. This has been especially the case as regards accommodation. Various temporary measures and a series of changes were necessary in order to provide sufficient space in which to carry on the successive steps in the training course. Although the instructional stafi was augmented, its task was unusually heavy on account of the problem presented by cramped accommodation, not to mention the preponderance of junior over senior students. There have been seventy-nine dental nurses, twenty-nine being in the second year, and fifty in their first year. The latter is the largest

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Number of Schools Number of Children T N of Year. under Systematic : receiving Systematic | Operations Treatment. Treatment. 1930 .. 930 67,652 463,204 1931 .. 1,118 68,995 562,759 1932 . .. .. 1,297 72,584 619,390 1933 .. .. .. .. 1,430 78,391 623,625 1934 .. .. .. .. 1,551 83,433 626,878 1935 . .. 1.590 84,738 674,374 1936 .. .. 1,629 89,803 725,069