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An analysis of procedures used in dental corrections in an elementary school

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An analysis of procedures used in dental corrections in an elementary school

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Content AN ANALYSIS OP PROCEDURES USED IN DENTAL CORRECTIONS IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the School of Education University of Southern California In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Education by Genevieve Lindhorst August 1943 UMI Number: EP56493 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Pissertaton Pubi shrng UMI EP56493 Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 - I T h is thesis, w ritte n u n d e r the d ire c tio n o f the C h a irm a n o f the candidate's G u ida n ce C o m m itte e a nd a p p ro v e d by a ll m em bers o f the C o m m itte e, has been presented to a nd accepted by the F a c u lty o f the S ch o o l o f E d u c a tio n o f T h e U n iv e rs ity o f S o uth ern C a lifo rn ia in p a r tia l fu lfillm e n t o f the requirem ents f o r the degree o f M a s te r o f Science in E d u ca tio n . _ September 3, 1943 D a te 7 ........................... Guidance Committee D ean Louis P . Thorpe Chairman D . Welty Lefever Wm. Gr. Campbell TABLE OP CONTENTS CHAPTER page I. THE PROBLEM AND DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED • . . 1 The problem ......................... l Statement of the problem.............. 1 Importance of the study................ 2 Definitions of terms used................ 3 Limitations of the s t u d y ................ 5 Scope of the s t u d y .................... 6 Weaknesses of the survey ................. 5 Organization of remainder of the thesis . . . 7 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.................. 8 Literature on general information ........ 8 Literature on dental surveys .............. 11 Literature on correction programs .......... 15 Literature on classroom methods and materials............................... 17 Summary....................... 19 III. SOURCES OF DATA AND METHOD OF PROCEDURE .... 21 Sources of data.............. 21 Characteristics of the school.......... 22 Method of procedure....................... 23 The fall dental inspection............ 23 Inspection by the school nurse ...... 24 Record of program of instruction..... 25 ill CHAPTER PAGE Pinal survey................................ 25 IV, RESULTS OP THE SURVEY........................ 26 Fall dental inspection ...................... 26 The fall dental inspection.................. , 26 Types of defects................. 27 Incidence of defects........................ 27 Teaching procedures .......................... 33 Building procedures............ 33 Teachers* procedures...................... . 39 Monthly dental corrections ................... 47 May survey..................... 51 Comparison of October and May 0. K*s. , . • 51 May survey.................................. 56 Summary......................... 60 V, SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS....................... 61 Summary....................................... 61 The purpose of this s t u d y ................. 61 Summary of the findings ................. 61 Conclusions.................................. 64 Recommendations.............................. 66 BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................... 68 APPENDIX............................................. 72 LIST OP TABLES TABLE PAGE I. Dental Defects Among Boys— Pall Dental Inspection ....................... 29 II. Dental Defects Among Girls--Pall Dental Inspection................................ 50 III. Dental Defects By Grades— Fall Dental Inspection................................ 31 IV. Parents* Replies to January Letter Urging Dental Corrections . . . . . . 37 V. Parents* Replies to May Letter Urging Dental Corrections ........ 44 VI. Children*s Reasons for Having Dental Corrections Made . . . . . . . . . 45 VII. Monthly Dental Corrections by Boys....... 48 VIII. Monthly Dental Corrections by Girls .... 49 IX. Monthly Dental Corrections by Grades .... 50 X. Comparison of October and May Dental 0. K*s. for Boys ..................... 52 XI. Comparison of October and May Dental 0. K*s. for Girls ............... 53 XII. Comparison of October and May Dental 0. K*s. by Grades . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 V TABLE PAGE XIII. May Survey of Dental Health by Grades .... 57 XIV. Children’s Reasons for Non-Correction of Dental Defects............... ...... 58 CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AND DEFINITIONS OP TERMS USED The healthy child is an asset to his home, to the school, and to his community. The child’s health and school progress are vitally affected by the condition of his teeth. According to the White House Conference Report^ dental caries or tooth decay is the most common physical defect among children. There is perhaps no one thing so widely discussed and so little understood as the value and importance of sound, healthy teeth. It is generally believed by conservative dentists that most dental diseases can be prevented and that education is the most efficacious means by which this can be accomplished. If this is true, the information that should be given to parents, children, teachers, and the procedure by which it may be transmitted effectively should be as nearly uniform as possible. Such facts as are known to support this belief should be presented forcefully and concisely. As research brings forth further data, supplementing or modifying this belief, changes should be made in the educational program.2 I. THE PROBLEM Statement of the problem. This study was made in an attempt to find the most effective procedures in securing dental corrections among the pupils of the Abbott School in ^ Thomas D. Wood, chairmgin. The School Health Program, Committee on the School Child, White House Conference on Child Health and Protection (New York: The Century Company, 1932), p. 95. ^ Ibid., p. 91. 2 Kansas City, Kansas# It was concerned with (l) finding the number of children who needed dental corrections; (2) find ing the best procedures to use in securing dental corrections; and, (3) finding the percentage of corrections accomplished during the school year# Importance of the study. Easlick^ believes that the schoolroom is the best source for health teaching but that many teachers do not have sufficient authentic information to direct an approach to the child’s dental health training# The problem of dental health education becomes a problem of teacher, child, and parent education# During the present emergency it is the patriotic duty of every American to be as physically fit as possible through the development of good health habits and timely medical and dental care# Neglect creates emergencies that our limited civilian medical and dental staff will be unable to handle# It is very important to emphasize the necessity for dental care among school children. During the last World War "defective and deficient" teeth stood eighth among thirty-seven items which were listed as leading to rejection for physical unfitness# Of men from the forty-eight states and the District of ^ Kenneth A. Easlick, "Dental Health Education: Can School Children Get It?" Education Digest, 3:16-17, April, 1938. Columbia, the mean rate was 24.2 per thousand men examined. The distribution about this mean ranged between 2.90 for Arkansas and 102.85 for Vermont. The New England states, as a unit, outranked all others, while the states of the South and Southwest were consistently low on the scale. Sufficient data from the present draft are not yet available to allow a reliable conclusion to be drawn regarding the current situation, but preliminary reports indicate there will be a comparable distribution of rejections for "deficient and defective" teeth. The dental defects which cause men to be physically unsuited for military service are not likely to have started their development in the adult, but in the youth.^ Poor dental health may lead to absence from school, to loss of permanent teeth, to impairment of general health, and to serious retardation of school progress. II. DEFINITIONS OP TERMS USED Effective. Effective was interpreted as meaning those procedures that actually resulted in corrections being made. Thé effectiveness was determined by pupil statement, parent statement and the relation of the date of correction to the date the procedure was used. Teacher procedures. In this study the term "teacher procedures" shall be interpreted as meaning any of the ways the teacher used to further dental correction. ^ Bion R. East, "Geography and Tooth Decay," The Scientific Monthly. 55:582, December, 1942. Dental correction. Dental correction was interpreted as the actual i*ork done by the dentist and recorded by the teacher upon receiving a signed and dated form from the dentist. Parent education. Any individual or group conferences, written communications, talks by the school nurse or dentist or city health officials. Parent-Teacher discussions, home visits by the school nurse or teacher, telephone conversa tions, or audio-visual materials used to impart dental health information to the parents were considered "parent education". Dental anatomy. Dental anatomy was interpreted as tooth structure. Dental caries. Dental caries was interpreted as tooth decay. Malocclusion. The term "malocclusion" was used to indicate the faulty arrangement of teeth. Dental 0. K. The use of the term "Dental 0. K." indicated that the dentist had made all the corrections that it was possible to make at that time. If the child was undergoing treatment for malocclusion by the dentist at the time the corrective work was considered satisfactory. In cases that needed only better brushing on the part of the 5 child but no corrective work by the dentist the Dental O.K. was withheld until the school nurse said that the teeth were in a satisfactory condition. III. LIMITATIONS OP THE STUDY Scope of the study. This study was made during the 1942-1943 school year from September 14, 1942 to May 28, 1943 in the Abbott Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas which is an industrial and railroad center of northeastern Kansas. Abbott School is located in a residential district in the northwest section of the city. It is a twelve room, six grade building with a separate kindergarten cottage. There is an average school enrollment of 440 and a faculty of eleven members. The children are American born and come from average homes. This survey was an opportunity to compare the need for dental correction and the effectiveness of teaching procedure in securing corrections with other dental surveys that have been made. The reasons for dental correction and non-correction have been found. As a result of this study more effective ways to encourage dental corrections will be developed and a study will be made of the factors that influ ence children in gaining good habits of dental health. Weaknesses of the survey. An average enrollment of 440 in the school might be considered too small a sampling for this type of investigation. The results obtained at this school might not be applicable to another school where the children had a different family environment. The problem of overcoming parental negligence and antipathy is always difficult and had been increased in this case by the much larger number of families in which both parents were working. Finding a satisfactory means of parent education when parents were seldom at home and had no time for school conferences had added to the difficulties of the study. Some of the information might not be reliable since written notes from the parents and verbal replies by the children were used to determine reasons for correction and non-correction of dental defects. Heavy teaching loads and periods of severe illness on the part of several teachers might have influenced teach ing procedures as substitute teachers were employed at that time. In addition to other difficulties encountered many dentists and several school nurses have left the city for service in the armed forces. However, the Kansas City, Kansas Board of Education granted the principals authority to dismiss children during school time for dental work without counting them either absent or tardy. Y Although different conditions might affect some of the findings of this survey, the findings do show general trends that might he found in larger numbers of cases and should assist in providing a teaching program that will encourage dental corrections among elementary school children. XV. ORGANIZATION OF REMAINDER OF THESIS Chapter II is a review of the related literature. In addition to dental surveys and correction programs, methods and materials are considered. Chapter III contains a discussion of the sources of data used and the method of procedure. Chapter IV^presents the findings and figures pertain ing to the study in tabulated form with comparisons and analysis of the data, findings and results of the survey. Chapter V is an evaluation of the survey with a summary and conclusions. Recommendations have been formulated from a study of the results of the survey. There is a bibliography and an appendix at the end of the thesis. CHAPTER II REVIEW OP THE LITERATURE The related literature was concerned with general information about dental hygiene, with accounts of dental surveys in other places, with correction programs in other schools, and with specific procedures and materials for classroom use. I. GENERAL INFORMATION 1 The White House Conference Report discussed briefly what the person interested in the welfare of the school child should know about dentistry. A knowledge of the development of the dental organs and their structure and function, of the efficacy and inefficacy of mouth hygiene, of the influence of diet upon the teeth, and of the professional and lay concepts of preventive and reparative dentistry and their respective places in the school program is important Brackett^ was concerned with the structure of the teeth, the care that should be given them and the effect of Thomas D. Wood, chairman. The School Health Program, Committee on the School Child, White House Conference on Child Health and Protection (New York; The Century Company, 1932), pp. 91-106. ^ Ibid.. p. 91. 5 Charles A. Brackett, The Care of the Teeth (Cam bridge; Harvard University Press, 191577 63pp. 9 heredity and environment upon teeth. A very small percentage of tooth decay has been found among primitive people who live on their native diet. Colin^ believed the immediate cause of tooth decay was the growth of acid forming bacteria in the mouth that grew rapidly in the presence of carbohydrates, especially sugar. In discussing the relation of nutrition to teeth, Elliott^ emphasized the use of milk, fruits, and vegetables. The use of these foods to form the greater part of the daily diet should result in better teeth and greater freedom from dental defects. McGiffert^ stressed the fact that the care of teeth should begin in early childhood. First or deciduous teeth are as worth saving as permanent teeth because they help shape the jaw and provide for the regularity of the second teeth. Since it is difficult to detect cavities in first teeth in time to prevent rapid decay it is advisable to see the dentist at least twice a year. Proper daily cleaning and the early attention of the dentist help to keep dental Edward C. Colin, "Tooth Decay: Its Cause and Prevention," School Science and Mathematics. 37:844-7, October, 1937. ^ Mark D. Elliott, "Health, Nutrition, and Teeth," Child Welfare, 28:88-91, October, 1933. ® Sarah McGiffert, "The Care of the Teeth," The Instructor. 41:29, January, 1932. 10 decay in check. The six-year molars which are usually in place before the child is seven years old are very importsuit. Many parents do not realize that these teeth which are sixth from the center front are permanent teeth and can never be replaced if they are lost. They come in while the child’s jaw is developing, maintain the proper relationship between the upper and lower jaw and hold the jaws the proper distance apart while the first teeth are being lost and the second teeth are coming in. Poods that contain calcium and the vitamins that allow calcium to be converted into bony and tooth structure are milk, butter, cauliflower, figs, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, orange juice, whole wheat, liver, and eggs. Johnson^ also emphasized the necessity of caring for the deciduous teeth and the sixth-year molars. The loss of the first permanent ^molars causes the jaws to drop too close together, changes the contour of the face, and brings on an irregularity of the teeth and deformity of the mouth. Irreg ular teeth may result in impaired mastication and conspicuous deformity. The primary purpose of the teeth, according to Dvorak^ is to chew food preparatory for digestion. The teeth also ^ G. N. Johnson, "What About the Child’s Teeth", Child Welfare. 24:342-3, March, 1930. # William Dvorak, "Dental Health," The Grade Teacher, 55:36-37, January, 1938. 11 have an important part in the expression and appearance of the face. Easlick^ named six things to teach in a school dental health program. 1. Establish the habit of regular dental inspection, treatment and filling of cavities. 2. Promote the desire to eat a well balanced diet for good growth and a low sugar and low starch diet for good teeth. 3. Toothbrushing, properly done, can accomplish a few minor but worthwhile objectives. 4. Mouth habits, such as thumb sucking, affect the arrangement of the teeth. Unsightly tooth arrangement may be corrected by the orthodontist. 5. Drugs and proprietary mouth products should be used only on the advice or prescription of the dentist or some other qualified person. 6. Develop the concept of the dentist as a friend instead of an ogre to be feared. II. DENTAL SURVEYS It has been found that dental health is invaluable to the progress of the child. Hamlin^^ reported that a survey made by officials of the American Dental Association showed that the percentage of children needing dental attention ranged from 75 per cent to 98 per cent. Authorities say that dental defects among school children in Chicago cost the tax payer more than three-fourths million dollars annually to ^ Kenneth A. Easlick, "Dental Health Education: Can School Children Get It?" Education Digest, 3:16-17, April, 1938. 3-0 Fred Hamlin, "Neglected Teeth Increase Taxes," Journal of Education, 115:390, May 16, 1932. 12 educate repeaters who failed because of conditions caused by- bad teeth. A steady campaign was begun under the direction of Superintendent Willis A. Sutton in the Atlanta, Georgia schools in 1924. In one school where dental instruction and dental care were installed there were 1,200 school days saved in a year’s time. At the end of five years every child in all the public schools of Atlanta was one hundred per cent dentally perfect. Before the system was installed thirty- two per cent of the children failed to pass their grades. In a year the percentage was down to eight. Before the cam paign, attendance averaged 83 per cent, afterwards it went up to 97 per cent. After the dental program coupled with a general health program had run six years the average percentage of repeaters was reduced by one half. My. Sutton has estimat ed that the dental program has saved taxpayers a quarter of a million dollars annually. In commenting on the London school health report 11 Rogers stated that in 1900 the London school board became concerned with the fact that 96 per cent of the scholarship children had advanced dental decay* In 1910 the first dental center was opened. By 1935 there was annual treat- 11 James Frederick Rogers, "Comments on London’s School Health Report," School Life, 21:76, December, 1935* 13 ment of 150,000 children and only four per cent of the scholarship candidates had advanced dental decay. IP Robin reported a survey of the hygiene classes of Morris High School, New York City in February, 1934. Out of 554 pupils examined, 509 had decayed teeth, about 92 per cent. The average number of cavities per pupil was approximately 4.1. When the summary of the graduating class was studied it was noted that the scholarship classes of the school showed an average of 2.7 cavities per pupil while the seniors as a whole showed 4.1 cavities per pupil. When the actual scholarship marks of the pupils and the number of cavities per pupil were compared it was found that the pupils in group one in scholarship ranked lowest in the average number of cavities per pupil. The results were the same at all scholarship levels. The author concluded that the dental condition of the high school pupil does affect his health and therefore his ability to progress educationally. In a report that was mainly a statistical study relating to public school children of ten, eleven, and twelve years of age Franzen stated that. The present dental correction is palliative and not either preventive or curative. The disease is not being cured; the symptoms are being removed. A real preventive program awaits solution of the problems of predisposition 12 Murray Robin, "Morris High School Copes Effectively with the Dental Question," High Points, 17:18-23, November, 1935. 14 and cause. Of course this la no new conclusion to many of the dental profession. But together with the data upon which it is based it is of importance to school health administration.^^ 14 Watts reported on the dental health program in Andersen School in an underprivileged community in Chicago. In February, 1938 the Division of Dental Hygiene of the Chicago Board of Health examined the primary children. The results indicated that 96.5 per cent of these children needed dental care. The examination was then extended to all of the eight grades in the school. Special attention was centered on the eighth grades in an effort to improve their dental condition before graduation. Among the seventy-four there was only one perfect mouth and the corrections had to be made in less than four months. A survey of the class showed ten who could afford a private dentist. The teachers and adjustment teacher worked vigorously. They had to see that appointments to the Board of Health Clinic which gave extra time to the school were kept. One eighth grade girl had to have all the upper and all the lower teeth but four extracted. The dentures were made at cost at a dental college and the Chicago Woman’s Aid provided the money. At graduation time the dental corrections were 100 per cent. Raymond Franzen. Public Health Aspects of Dental Decay in Children (New York: American Child Health Associa tion, Printed by J. J. Little and Ives Company, 1930), 121 pp Ethel C. Watts, "A Dental Health Program," Chicago Schools J ournal. 21:63-67, November, 1939. 16 III. CORRECTION PROGRAMS The Canadian Dental Hygiene Council has been carrying on an intensive educational program in preventive dentistry for the last ten years. The council is made up of success ful public-spirited citizens from various phases of profess ional and commercial life who are impressed with the importance of preventive dentistry and help make it available for all. Singleton stated that, "it is not expected that preventive dentistry will take care of all the diseased teeth but an endeavour is being made by education to prevent the occurrence of diseased teeth in children and younger p e o p l e . "3.6 Every dentist in the province gives approximately two days of his time to making an examination of the mouths of the pupils in the schools. Each child is given a chart to take home that shows his dental defects. It gives information to the parents that will greatly assist in emphasizing the danger of neglect, the importance of a healthy mouth, and the benefits to be gained from treatment. The Lake Bluff Grammar School, Lake Bluff, Illinois has had a dental dispensary in operation for five years. A dentist is employed three mornings a week during five months 3-^ G. M. Singleton, "A Campaign for Healthy Teeth," The School (Elementary Edition), 24:561-2, March, 1936. 16 of the school term; three months in the fall, one month in the middle winter and one month in the late spring. Lourie^® reported that the children were examined in the fall. When one complete grade had been examined cards indicating the work to be done were sent to the parents. The parents decided whether to have the work done at school or by a private dentist and returned the card. When the entire school had been examined the dentist began corrective work with the grade whose cards were sent out first. During the fall months the dentist completed all required work for the eight grades. In the winter month he did the kindergarten and emergency work. In the spring the entire school was examined again, the teeth of the children having work done at school were cleaned and any additional work was done. During the 1934-1935 school term all children returned their cards, five per cent had work done by a private dentist, two per cent decided not to have anything done, and ninety-three per cent had the dental work done at school. 17 Fitzgerald reported that the Berkeley elementary schools are served by two dental hygienists who annually examine the mouths of all the elementary school children. Lloyd Lourie, "Gladly, at School," The Nation’s Schools, 19:29-30, June, 1937. Harriet M. Fitzgerald, "Dental Health Education in the Berkeley Public Schools," California J ournal of Elementary Education, 7:224-27, May, 1939, 17 give monthly classroom talks on the care of the teeth, and clean the exposed surfaces of the teeth. It is felt that this program of teaching the child to appreciate the impor tance of dental hygiene so that he will go to his own dentist and earn his own fees if necessary, or make his own appoint ment at a clinic is more worth while than giving the child free dental service in the schools. The Metropolitan Vocational High School has made six dental services available to students. Scopp^® reported educational, diagnostic, preventive, reparative, restorative, and emergency work being carried on within the school. This school has a dentist-health education teacher. Students assist at the chair as part of their shop-work. The dentist does the corrective work for indigent or semi- indigent students who are referred to him by the advisors. All other students are examined and sent to their family or neighborhood dentist for reparative work.^^ IV. CLASSROOM METHODS AND MATERIALS The structure of the teeth, when they appear, the position of the teeth in the mouth, the care of the teeth. Irwin W. Scopp, "The Dental Health Program in Operation at Metropolitan Vocational High School," High Points. 22:70-1, February, 1941. 3-9 Irwin W. Scopp, "A Unique Plan for Effectively Attacking the Dental Health Problem in Secondary Schools," High Points, 25:52-54, March, 1941. 18 bow cavities form and why the tooth aches are emphasized 20 in the children’s book by Ferguson* 21 Harmon suggested a visit to the dentist to get acquainted and to study the office equipment; children’s inspection of one another’s teeth; tooth brush demonstra tions; and information about the teeth* 22 Other teaching methods used by Dvorak were posters, chalk talks, teacher’s drawings on the blackboard, forming a Clean Teeth Club, and dramatizations. 23 Gamble used charts showing the structure of the teeth, dental examination by a local dentist, a motion picture on the care of the teeth, a poster contest, news paper accounts of the progress of dental work and poems and stories related to the project. Watts said, "In the classroom, through the force of public opinion, the desire of a class to secure a perfect record in the correction of dental defects was unsurpassed PA as a motivating force." The teachers used many devices to Harrison W. Ferguson, A Child’s Book of the Teeth, New-World Health Readers, edited by J. W. Ritchie (Yonkers- on-Hudson, New York: World Book Company, 1927), 63 pp. Beryl D. Harmon, "Building Sound Teeth," The Grade Teacher, 58:22, May, 1935. William Dvorak, "Good Teeth," The Grade Teacher, 55:22, December, 1937. Mabel H. Gamble, "A Unit on Dental Health," The Instructor, 47:20-21, September, 1938. 24 Watts, pp. cit., p. 64. 19 to improve dental health generally and to promote trips to the dentist. Among them were interviews with parents, rolls of honor, grade and room assemblies, jingles and cartoons published in school newspapers, reports of progress made at school council meetings, and the presentation of a dental health certificate to children whose dental defects had been corrected. Summary* The literature reviewed in this study emphasized the importance of dental hygiene to personal appearance, good health and satisfactory school work. Dental hygiene may be achieved through proper nutrition, correct oral hygiene habits and the early attention of the dentist which helps to keep dental decay in check. Classroom and parental education is needed in all three phases. Dental surveys show that 75 per cent to 98 per cent of school pupils need dental correction; that dental health is invaluable to school progress and to general health; that an efficient dental program will save taxpayers the large annual sum which has been spent in educating repeaters whose failures were caused by conditions related to bad teeth; and, that an annual corrective program in cooperation with a general health program will greatly reduce the percentage of dental defects, non-attendance, and school failures. Classroom methods and materials may be gained through 20 teachers* magazines, dental journals, health books for children, the state department of dental health, and the American Dental Association* CHAPTER III SOURCES OP DATA AND METHOD OF PROCEDURE Data for this survey Were gathered from records and reports kept by the teachers of the Abbott Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas. I. SOURCES OP DATA The data used in this study were obtained from the following sources: 1. The fall dental inspection recorded on Dental 1 and 2, blank forms issued by the state department of health. 2. Inspection by the school nurse. 3. Records of procedures that were kept by each teacher. 4. Records of dental corrections that were recorded on Dental 1 and 2 and were also recorded on the child* s permanent record card. 6. Verbal reports by the children as to the reason for dental corrections. 6. Written information from the parents as to the reason for non-corrections. 7. Verbal reports by the children as to the reason for non-correction. 22 8. Records of a survey that was made to determine the number of children who had started dental work by the end of May but who did not have the corrections completed. These data were tabulated for a period of nine months, or the entire school term, a total of 177 days, from September 14, 1942 until May 28, 1943. Characteristics of the school. Abbott School is a twelve room, six grade elementary school in a residential district in the northwest section of Kansas City, Kansas. The school enrollment averaged about 440, there being two kindergarten groups held in the kindergarten cottage north of the main building, each a half-day session with the same teacher; and, a room and a half for each of the other six grades. Nine classrooms were in use at the time of this study. One vacant room housed a branch of the city library which was open one day a week with a librarian from the main library in charge. The other two rooms have been remodeled into a school auditorium. There was a combination first and second grade, a combination third and fourth grade, and a combination fifth and sixth grade. The other rooms had a straight grade each. No attempt was made at homogeneous grouping but there was an effort made to keep problem child ren, unable to work by themselves, out of the combination rooms. 23 There were eleven on the faculty including the prin cipal and her assistant, who was there a half day only. The principal taught a half day and the assistant took her classes for the other half day. School began at 9:15 A. M. and at 1:00 P. M. There was a fifteen minute recess morning and afternoon with an additional supervised play period in the afternoon. The kindergarten, first and second grades dis missed at 11:45 A. M. and 3:30 P. M. while the third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades dismissed at noon and 4:00 P. M. The children of Abbott School belong to the white race, are American born, and come from average homes. There are few professional families and few families with extremely poor living conditions. There was a school nurse at the building one half day a week. An immunization program has been set up each year by the Gity-County Health Department and the school nurses. Immunizations were given for dyphtheria, smallpox, and typhoid. The Wyandotte County Dental Association sponsored a dental inspection in each building in the fall* Since there was only one city dentist very little charitable work could be done. II. METHOD OP PROCEDURE The fall dental inspection. The Wyandotte County Dental Association in cooperation with the State Department 24 of Health sponsored a dental inspection in each building in the city during the fall. A local dentist examined the child* ren for dental defects and each teacher recorded the findings during the examination on the dental examination record sheets. Dental 1 and 2, The examination was general in nature. No attempt was made to find every defect, as child ren having defects were urged to go to their own dentist for more thorough examination and dental correction. Each teacher recorded the dental findings for her class on their permanent record cards and filled out the appropriate blank. Dental 3 or 4, which was sent home to the parents or guardian of the child. As corrections were made during the year the slip sent home was signed by the dentist, returned to school, the teacher recorded the date of dental correction on Dental It and 2 and also noted the correction on the child's permanent record card. Inspection by the school nurse. There was a school nurse at the Abbott School one half day a week. She inspect ed every child in the kindergarten, third grade, sixth grade, and pupils new to the city school system. This inspection included vision, hearing, posture, speech, teeth, malnutri tion, tonsils, and skin conditions. An audiometer test had been given to every school child in the city the previous year. Every effort was made to have the mothers of the 25 kindergarten children present during the nurse's inspection. A form card with notations as to the child's physical condition was sent home after the inspection. The nurse held conferences with parents, made home calls, and had the authority to issue permits for re-entrance to school after a three day absence if there had been no physician called during the illness. Because of the limited time the nurse had at the building the teachers watched for cases in their rooms that needed special reference to the nurse. Record of program of instruction. Each teacher kept a record of the different procedures she used to encourage dental correction. In addition she recorded the child's reason for having a dental correction made and where possible related the number of corrections made to the procedure used. She also made an effort to find the child's reason and the parent's reason for not having a correction made. Final survey. At the close of the school year the records were checked and tabulated, the percentage of correc tions accomplished during the school year was determined, and the number of children who had started dental work but did not have corrections completed was listed. This group was also checked to find the number of working mothers. CHAPTER IV RESULTS OP THE SURVEY The American Dental Association survey, as reported by Hamlin^, showed that seventy-five to ninety-eight per cent of children needed dental attention. The results of the fall dental inspection at the Abbott Elementary School showed that only 22.1 per cent of the total enrollment was free from dental defects. This meant that 77.9 per cent of the children needed correction for dental defects. I. PALL DENTAL INSPECTION The fall dental inspection. The Abbott School fall dental inspection was held October 21, 1942. A local dentist made a general inspection of each child's teeth. No attempt was made to find all defects as the object of the inspection was to encourage children to have dental corrections made and to take better care of their teeth. The blanks. Dental 3 or 4, that were sent home by each child had defects checked instead of definite information as to the number of cavities. Types of defects. The following dental information 1 Fred Hamlin, “Neglected Teeth Increase Taxes,“ Journal of Education, 115:390, May 16, 1932. 27 and defects was recorded on the examination record sheets. Dental 1 and 2. Child's name Age Grade Record of corrections made Has child ever been to dentist? Has child own tooth brush? Need more thorough brushing Need cleaning by dentist Diseased gums or abscessed teeth Cavities in temporary teeth Cavities in permanent teeth Malocclusion Mottled Enamel Lost permanent teeth Teeth 0# E. at time of inspection Incidence of defects. Tables I, II, and III show the number of defects among the boys and girls and in each grade. There were no cases of mottled enamel and so few cases of diseased gums and' severe malocclusion that these defects were not dental problems at the Abbott School. Only 5.2 per cent of the entire enrollment had no tooth brush and only 6.6 per cent of the entire enrollment needed more thorough brushing. However, 10.9 per cent of the pupils needed to 28 have their teeth cleaned by a dentist. Thirty-nine of the fifty children whose teeth needed cleaning by a dentist were in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. The majority of the primary children had never been to a dentist. In the kindergarten and grades one and two 113 children out of 199 or 56.8 per cent had never been to a dentist. Of the seventy-two kindergarten children, fifty- four or seventy-five per cent had never been to a dentist. A further study of Table III shows that fifty of these seventy-two kindergarten children had ninety-eight cavities in temporary teeth. There were 218 children or 47.6 per cent of the total enrollment who had 473 cavities in temporary teeth. More than half of these children were in the primary grades• In the kindergarten and the first three grades 149 children out of 260, or 57.3 per cent of the enrollment of these grades, had 368 cavities in temporary teeth. This was 77.8 per cent of the total number of cavities for the entire building. When the fourth grade is included with this group, 188 child ren, or 41 per cent of the total school enrollment of 458, have 423 or 89.4 per cent of the 473 cavities in temporary teeth. The grades with the largest number of cavities in temporary teeth were the first grade, the kindergarten, and the second grade. The average number of cavities was 2.1 29 § M g ÇQ A H I 3 I I i P Q I I A I A uo-fq.o9dsup i i u j *S *0 TBq.n©a 3 < s i * lO « O 5Î rH 3 qq.98q. q-neuBtEUted q.so*i o o O o o o IN rH c ô %8GTBii0 p©%q.q.oH u o p sn io o o iB H o o o o O r4 o iH o 0 2 O M o rH o tO « O • 0 2 qq.8©q. q.neTr8mr8d X T f S0TÏTABO o c o C - fH 0 2 iH C O 0 2 o > rH S § rH ■qq.09q. q-natrenucod n f s0fq.TA0o qq-pm noÆPT'Ctco Jieqnmg o c o C T > o > o > iH to rH O rH O X > 0 0 o c o T[%90% Ajujiodmaq. urç se-fq-iAUQ g s O C O g O 0 2 d C O g qq.09q. 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U9UPXXU0 uaqm nM o to rH C O to C O to C O o> to tO rH 3 0 0 tO 5 p e s s e o s q B u o sma2 p 9 S B 9 S x a o O co O rH O tO E N to rH q s x q n 9 p JSq 9 u x -U B 9X 0 P 99U q q 9 9 ji 0 2 ïO to E N rH H rH O rH O to o > O rH S u x u s n u q q S n o u o q q euom P 99U q q 9 0 j, O ) lO co rH C O to rH O co tO « tO q s n u q q q o o q o u 9a b h E N 0 2 co to . rH Ht 0 2 02 • to to q s x q u 9 p B o q U 9 9 q U9A9U 9ABH lO o > 0 2 o to 0 2 0 2 to to E N 3 tO to quBïEcxxouUB *q oO 0 2 E N to to to rH to 0 2 C O C O to § i 9PBU 0 i a g 0 0 a i p R ! i l C O « E 4 i f A 0 0 0 A 0 32 per child for those having cavities in temporary teeth hut the first grade had an average of 3.2 cavities per child. When Table I and Table II are compared it is found that 54.2 per cent of the boys and 41.1 per cent of the girls have cavities in temporary teeth. Sixty per cent of the cavities in temporary teeth Were found among the boys and forty per cent were found among the girls. The boys who had cavities in temporary teeth averaged 2.3 cavities per child while the girls had an average of two cavities per child. Cavities in permanent teeth were found in 30.8 per cent of the boys and in 29.4 per cent of the girls. There were, however, more cavities in permanent teeth among the girls than among the boys. The girls had 51.6 per cent of these cavities and the boys had 48.4 per cent. The second grade had the largest number of cavities in permanent teeth with an average of 2.2 cavities for each child having that type of defect. Of the total school enrollment 41 boys, or 18.1 per cent had teeth that were in a satisfactory condition for a Dental 0. K. at the time of the fall inspection. Sixty girls, or 26 per cent of the total number of girls, received a Dental 0. K. at that time. There remained 77.9 per cent of the entire enrollment who needed dental corrections. 33 II. TEACHING PROCEDURES Building procedures. The following procedures were used throughout the building to encourage dental corrections. September 26 October 11 October 21 October 22— 28 October--May November 9 January 4. February 11 February 22 Miss Drake, the school nurse, talked to the P. T. A. stressing nutrition, dental care, and immunizations. A brief survey of the dental program for the last several years was given. Newspaper publicity about the city-wide dental inspection was discussed at school. The Abbott School dental inspection was made by one of the local dentists. Dental slips with a record of dental inspec tion were sent home with each child. Defects were checked, no exact figures were given. All rooms formed Good Teeth Clubs. Meetings and programs varied in different rooms. All rooms started some type of chart to display names of members of Good Teeth Clubs. Inspection by the school nurse of all children in the kindergarten, third grade, sixth grade, pupils new to the building, and special cases referred by the room teachers. The school nurse brought a chart on the correct method of brushing the teeth. Letters were sent home by each child who had dental corrections to be made. Mrs. Pinch, the play supervisor, visited all the rooms and talked to the children about their health habits, emphasizing posture and dental care. The school nurse brought tooth brushes for those children who wished to buy a brush at school. 34 March 9 Talks were made in each room about the pamphlets, “Physical Fitness for Victory Requires Good Dental Health", which were sent home to each family. April 19 Plans were made for a Health Day Program at which time ribbons were to be awarded children having Dental 0. K's. May 3 A representative from the State Department of Health showed a sound, color film on teeth to the entire building. May 4 Ribbons were awarded to Good Teeth Club members at the Health Day program. May 14 The school nurse finished examination of children new to the building and sent home cards about health conditions. In one room ten out of eleven children had dental defects. May 20 Letters emphasizing care of the teeth were sent home by each child who had dental corrections to be made. May Before school was out each room had a picnic or party for the Good Teeth Club members. Beginning with the talk to the Parent Teachers Association by the school nurse in September some phase of dental education was carried on each month. At the end of December and the first of January the letter on page 35 was sent home by each child who needed to have dental defects corrected. Table IV is a tabulation of the replies received from the parents. Thirty parents or 32.9 per cent of the letters returned stated that they planned to take the child to the dentist soon. Twelve parents said that the dentist recommended waiting before making the remainder of the 35 JANUARY LETTER TO PARENTS URGING DENTAL CORRECTIONS Abbott School Kansas City, Kansas January 4, 1943 Dear Parents, The Abbott School Dental Inspection was held in October. This inspection showèd that your child had some dental defects that need to be corrected. It is a well known fact that the child who is not healthy cannot do his best work without over-taxing his strength. It is often possible for dental defects to cause serious health conditions to exist before the parents become aware of it. In order to help your child to be as physically fit as possible please have your family dentist check the mouth condition and make any necessary dental corrections. Will you please return the slip on this page with any questions you would like discussed and any reasons you have for not having visited the dentist. These will help us in our discussions on the care of the teeth. Respectfully yours, _________________, Teacher _________________, Principal 36 corrections, which indicated that the teeth were in too poor a condition and that treatment was probably necessary before further dental correction could be made. Nine parents reported that dental correction had been started but had not been completed. Seven parents said that dental correction had been completed but that they forgot to get the dentist to sign a statement of correction. Three letters were returned with a statement of corrections and signatures of the dentists. This made a total of thirty-one parents who were making an effort to have dental corrections made. Since only five letters were returned that gave lack of funds as a reason for non-correction it was evident that the families of the community were in an economic position to have their children's teeth taken care of at some time during the year. Procrastination and negligence seemed to be the main reasons for non-correction. This seems espec ially evident since Table IX shows that only thirty-two dental corrections had been made from September to December, inclusive. A total of 325 letters had been sent home in January. The return of 91 letters, or twenty-eight per cent, was explained in many cases by the fact that the letters had bëcome lost at home and that mother and father did not have time to answer them. A similar letter, page 43, was sent to the parents of 223 children at the end of May. The replies from this 3 7 TABLE IV PARENTS» REPLIES TO JANUARY LETTER URGING DENTAL CORRECTIONS Parents » Reasons Replies Number Per cent Parents plan to take child to dentist soon 30 32.9 Signature only, no comments 15 16.5 Dentist has done some work hut recommends waiting for remainder 12 13.2 Dental work has been started but is not completed 9 9.9 Dental correction has been completed, forgot to get slip signed 7 7.7 No money 5 5.5 Have no family dentist, new to the city 5 3.3 Letter was signed by dentist after completing corrections 5 3.3 Teeth are baby teeth and do not need dental attention 3 3.3 Will not have teeth fixed now 2 2.2 TABLE IV Continued 38 Parents » Reasons Replies Number Per cent Other children in family have teeth in worse condition and must go first 1 1.1 Grandmother must get mother’s consent 1 1.1 Total 91 39 letter are shown in Table V. Again the majority of parents said that they intended to have dental corrections made as soon as possible. Some of these replies named a certain day on which they were planning to take the child to the dentist. The next largest number of replies came from the group that indicated some, type of corrective work had been started. Corrections increased slightly. Table IX, after Christmas until the largest number were completed in May. This was probably due to the fact that the annual Health Day program was held the fourth of May. Parents and supervisors visited at this time and a red, white, and blue ribbon was awarded the members of the Good Teeth Club who paraded in front of the visitors. Teachers » procedures. The procedures used by the teachers in the individual rooms have been classified under the following headings; personal awards and recognition, informal class conversation and discussion, stories and dramatization, visual education, inspection of children’s mouths, and contact with parents. Each teacher used all methods at various times during the year. Personal Awards and Recognition Good Teeth Club chart with names of members. Good Teeth Club meetings for members with a program of songs, stories, games, poems, etc. Parties and picnics for Good Teeth Club members. 40 Prominent display of dental 0. K*s. Large gold star placed on dental 0. K. Praised each child when he came back with his 0. K. Had a surprise for each new member. Child received a red, white, and blue ribbon at the Health Day program. Informal Class Conversation and Discussion Discussions on ways to keep teeth in good condition. Discussion of newspaper publicity about dental inspection. Child who had been to the dentist told of the visit and the class discussed ways to improve the teeth. Discussed bulletin on good teeth that was sent to the parents. Made plans for Health Day Program. Talked with the play supervisor about the care of the teeth. Prepared talks about the pamphlets, “Physical Fitness for Victory Requires Good Dental Health," and gave them in each room. Discussion of parents* comments on the pamphlets. Informational lessons On kinds of teeth, care of the teeth, necessity for dental care, correct nutrition, etc • Discussion of correct way to write business letters. Wrote letters asking for information about teeth. Talked about the relation of dental health to pep and strength in contests and games in play. Discussion of the dental film, "About Faces". Stories and Dramatizations Groups of children prepared stories to read to the class from health readers or library book. Teacher read or told stories about teeth. Original, true, or fictional stories about the impor tance of early dental care to health, comfort and economy were told by children. Groups of children or the class made up little plays that told about dental health. Visual Education Chart on brushing the teeth was used. Demonstrations on correct method of brushing the teeth Cartoons about going to the dentist were put on the bulletin board. Chart on foods that build good teeth was used. Children made pictures and posters. The reflectoseope was used in talks about kinds of teeth, care of teeth, tooth-building foods, etc. 41 Inspection of Children*s Mouths Teachers inspected mouths frequently. Children looked at own teeth in a mirror. The school nurse inspected teeth. Contact with Parents At a meeting of first grade parents dental care was stressed. Special notes regarding points of health were sent to parents. Personal talks with parents. Reports on dental inspection and corrections were made at P. T. A. meeting. Mothers on the P. T. A. Health Committee assisted at dental inspection and immunizations. Table VI is a list of the reasons for having dental corrections made that the children told their teachers when they returned their dental slips with an 0. K. Sixty-four children, or 45.1 per cent, said that they went to the dentist so that they could get the red, white, and blue ribbon award ed the Good Teeth Club members on Health Day. Table IX shows that 75 dental corrections were made in April and May. This was almost half of the total number of corrections and it indicated that the desire for personal and social recog nition to be gained from the Health Day award was the most vital factor used during the school year. There were 26 children, or 18.3 per cent, who had dental corrections made so that they could belong to the Good Teeth Club in their respective rooms. Nineteen children went to the dentist because their mother had made the arrange ments. Some of the children*s replies were : I told mother I had a hole in my tooth. She said. 42 "We can't put that off too long." And she took me to the dentist Saturday. Mother wanted to get my teeth fixed before gas ration ing started. Mother thought we'd.better get my teeth fixed while we had time. (Christmas vacation.) Mother made the appointment for Saturday and I got to go. • . Mother said we'd better get them fixed before they got too bad. Eight children, 5.6 per cent, replied that they went to the dentist so that they would have good teeth, free from cavities and loss of permanent teeth. These were the only replies that could be directly related to the actual teach ing of dental hygiene at school and at home. Although enjoyment and interest were high and were easily gained in various types of dental health lessons there did not seem to be a large carry-over into the field of dental correction. A few children went to the dentist because someone else was going who had a toothache or because they had a toothache themselves. Some of the replies given were: Mother was going anyway so I went with her. My brother was complaining of a toothache so mother took him to the dentist and she said as long as we were there I might as well get mine fixed too. Two children admitted that they went to the dentist because someone said that they were afraid to go. The results seem to indicate that the desire for 43 MAY LETTER TO PARENTS URGING DENTAL CORRECTIONS Abbott School Kansas City, Kansas May 20, 1943 Dear Parents, Our records show that your child has not had any dental corrections made during this school year. During the present emergency it is especially important that all of us do everything possible to promote the health of our American children. We want every child in Abbott School to know how to have a healthy mouth with a complete set of teeth in good condition. We ask you to help your child form correct dental habits : a. Brush the upper teeth down and the lower teeth up at least twice a day. b. Eat good, nourishing foods. Use sweets sparingly and include some coarse raw foods such as cabbage, carrots, celery, and fruits that require chewing. c. Get plenty of sunshine, fresh air, and rest. d. See the dentist at least twice a year. Save the teeth that have small cavities before they get big and begin to ache. know that our dentists are very busy. If it is not possible to have your child's dental work finished before school is out please have all dental work completed as soon as possible. Will you please return this slip with any suggestions you may have to help our school improve the dental health of the children or any reasons for not having dental work com pleted. Respectfully yours, _________________, Teacher _________________, Principal 44 TABLE V PARENTS» REPLIES TO MAY LETTER URGING DENTAL CORRECTIONS Parents * Seasons Replies Number Per cent Will have corrections made as soon as possible 23 46.0 Dental work has been started but is not completed 8 16.0 Signature only 4 8.0 No money 4 8.0 Both parents work no one is home to take child to dentist 4 8.0 Dental correction has been completed, forgot to have slip signed 3 6.0 Dentist does not advise further work at the present time 3 6.0 Letter was signed by dentist after completing corrections 1 2.0 Total 50 45 TABLE VI CHILDRiiiH»S REASONS FOR HAVING DENTAL CORRECTIONS MADE Child's Reasons Replies Number Per cent To get Health Day Recognition Award, a red, white, and blue ribbon 64 45.1 To belong to the Good Teeth Club 26 18.3 Because mother made the arrangements 19 13.4 Nurse obtained permits for the city dentist 13 9.2 To have good teeth free from holes and loss of teeth 8 5.6 Mother had money at the time 3 2.1 Another member of the family was going to the dentist so he went too 3 2.1 To gain social approval, someone made fun of them because they were afraid to go to the dentist 2 1.4 Went to the dentist because they had a toothache 2 1.4 Don't know 2 1.4 Total 142 46 personal recognition and public approval far surpasses any other incentive in gaining dental corrections among elemen tary school children. When the desire for recognition becomes so great that the child begins to urge his parents to take him to the dentist an attempt is usually made at correction. This was shown by the following remarks that seemed typical in a number of cases. I kept telling mother to let me get my teeth fixed. 8he kept putting me off until finally she made the appointment and I got my teeth fixed in time for the Health Day parade. I went home and told mother I wanted to get my teeth looked at for Health Day. I took the slip over and the dentist looked at my teeth. (This child is under regular treatment for teeth that are too bad to be repaired)• I asked mother to get them fixed for Health Day so she did. This seems to agree with Watts^ who said that through the force of public opinion the desire of a class to secure a perfect record was unsurpassed as a motivating force. Table IX indicates that this method is not as effective among younger children of kindergarten and first grade age. At this age much depends upon the parents* interest and realization of the necessity for good dental health. ^ Ethel C. Watts, "A Dental Health Program,** Chicago Schools Journal, 21:64, November, 1959. 47 III. MONTHLY DENTAL CORRECTIONS The number of dental corrections for boys, girls, and each grade are shown in Tables ¥11, VIII, and IX. Of the 186 boys who did not receive Dental 0. K*s at the fall inspection a total of 66 boys, or 35.6 per cent, had corrections made during the year. Of the 171 girls who did not receive a Dental 0. K. at the fall inspection a total of 95 girls, or 55.5 per cent, had corrections made during the school year. The grades having the largest number of corrections among the boys, as shown in Table VII, were the second grade with sixteen corrections, the sixth grade with thirteen corrections, and the fourth grade with eleven corrections. Fewer dental corrections were made by the boys in the kinder garten and first grade than in any other grade. The grades having the largest number of dental corrections among the girls are shown in Table VIII. The fourth grade girls made twenty-four corrections, the third grade girls made eighteen, and the fifth grade girls made fourteen corrections. Again there were fewer dental correc tions among the girls of the kindergarten and first grade than in any of the other grades. Table IX gives the monthly dental corrections for each grade. Corrections increased at the beginning of the second semester and reached their peak in May. During this TABLE ¥11 MONTHLY DENTAL CORRECTIONS BY BOYS 48 Grade Month K 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total September 0 0 0 Ü 0 0 0 0 October 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 4 November 1 1 1 2 0 0 1 6 December 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 J anuary 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 February 0 2 3 0 3 2 1 11 March 0 0 6 1 0 0 2 9 April 0 0 2 1 1 2 1 7 May 2 0 2 4 6 3 6 23 Total 4 5 16 9 11 8 13 66 NOTE: This table should be read as follows: There were no dental corrections among the boys in the kindergarten in September. TABLE VIII MONTHLY DENTAL CORRECTIONS BY GIRLS 49 Grade Month K 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total September 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 October 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 4 November 0 0 1 4 2 0 1 8 December 1 0 1 2 2 0 1 7 January 3 0 3 1 4 2 2 15 February 3 0 0 0 2 1 1 7 March 1 0 3 1 3 0 1 9 April 0 1 0 1 2 2 1 7 May 2 4 2 9 8 9 4 38 Total 10 7 11 18 24 14 11 95 NOTE: This table should be read as follows: There were no dental corrections among the girls in the kindergarten in September. TABLE IX MONTHLY DENTAL CORRECTIONS BY GRADES 50 Grade Month K 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total September 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 October 1 3 2 0 2 0 0 8 November 1 1 2 6 2 0 2 14 December 1 1 2 3 2 0 1 10 January 3 0 3 1 4 3 4 18 February 3 2 3 0 5 3 2 18 March 1 0 9 2 3 0 3 18 April 0 1 2 2 3 4 2 14 May 4 4 4 13 14 12 10 61 Total 14 12 27 27 35 22 24 161 NOTE: This table should be read as follows: There were no dental corrections in the kindergarten in September. 51 month 37.9 per cent of the year’s corrections were made. As previously stated, this seemed to be due to the ribbon award for good teeth given at the Health Day program. The fourth grade ranked first with thirty-five corrections for the year, the second and third grades each had twenty-seven corrections and the sixth grade had twenty-four. When the totals for the year are considered the first grade and the kindergarten had the smallest number of dental corrections. IV. MAY SURVEY Comparison of October and May D. K ’s. A comparison of fall and spring Dental 0. K*s. is shown in Tables X, XI, and XII. During the year children were transferred, new children entered, and some of those who received a Dental 0. K. in the fall developed dental defects. Therefore, the figures in these tables represent the building situation at the completion of the fall dental inspection and at the close of school in May. As shown in Table X, 43.8 per cent of the first grade boys received a Dental 0. K. at the fall dental inspection. At the end of May the first grade boys ranked first with 75 per cent of them having earned a Dental 0. K. This also accounts for the fact that the first grade boys were next to the lowest in the total number of dental corrections made as shown in Table VII. The kindergarten boys, however, had the smallest percentage of 0. K’s, in May, and also in October. 52 o m g IN CQ U EH iH rH H t cd # • +3 E - rH 00 to H * o 03 rH rH o> 4 EH 03 03 0 3 <o rH C O o> rH to èo rH t o rH to to to o ■ s J * to rH rH lO to rH to rH co D - H» • to to rH rH to rH to rH CO © CO 03 fç j cd è O o> to C O 00 03 rH 03 rH H * O r-H rH « • 0 } co 03 r-H O O 00 co r-H t o rH to 00 o rH 03 to oq lO to rH 03 rH EN to C O M co o to O 00 to rH CO rH * © M © M M • W # +3 o A na o F I • © F l © O •P P © O 43 A a A F î O F l ^ © rH © rH © -P 1 —1 rH f * rH ,o © O O rH © © © O o o +3 o ^ O 43 •p A ■P A A Ï » F Î A o 3 o © © © © 3 © © © F î O © o d FH *rH m © fN *H © U t 0 © © © -P P ^ 4 3 w fj 0 © A © f i © © 0 d d A F? A © © •iH © 4 3 FM A Ft © © 4^ to t<0 t> A -H w o © tîÛ •iH rH d © Ft F l 1 © •H © ï>> © 44 © -P f t A © •rH © P d • r i -rH © 43 f l AH f l ÊH 1 © >* Ft 4 3 © 43 A 4 3 d •rH A <a>>«H 0 d © </a><a>> © © t» 0 © m 0 d 4 3 «A © 0 0 © 0 © A >> A © 0 © © f : 0 f ) n +D © S 3 d F l © © rH •H 4 3 © A rH 0 © © f l © W 4 3 © A 0 M © 4 3 © d rH Ft © rO 0 « © 4 4 4 3 43 a •H J EH rH o d < Ï H 4^ O O g o i z ; •H ( D O < D P 4 ë +3 ta •H I •d cd ë (O % >> © o ^ ^ +3 oo ♦ C N Î W A « o o 63 I I CQ M EH rH 0 05 © # # 4 3 rH 0 to rH IN 03 0 C O « 0 03 03 rH to EH 03 03 rH H* 03 C O 02 rH rH Ht to ' 1 0 rH C O to H rH IN to to o> o> 05 1 0 rH Ô3 C O 03 rH to o> to H* C O H 03 0 C O IN rH 03 Ht 03 to © 0 IN d • # © C O 03 CO to to C O 05, A to 03 to 03 to C Î J C O Ht • • C V Î 0 H* to IN 03 C O H 03 rH H IN rH 03 0) 00 05 to rH to 03 03 rH to to 05 • H* C O to 03 to to C O 03 to rH Ht ta W © M W # • 4 3 0 A 4 3 0 © • © © • © 0 4 3 f> © 0 4 3 A S A © 0 0 © ^ © r 4 © rH © 4 3 rH rH © >> f rH ft © 0 0 rH © 0 © 0 0 0 4 3 0 ^ 0 a 4 3 A 4 3 d A 1» A * >» © A 0 © 0 © © © © © © © © © 0 © 0 d P i -i H s © ^ d Pn •H © W P4 A ® rH © A © A . ft 4h rH © 43 t î D © o d o %43 W d 54 g u CÛ W B rH H IN © • H P CO rH 03 ID 03 CO O ïO O 03 to A Ht EH Ht A H» 02 o> 02 (O CO XN «O 03 CO to cO A 03 tû 03 - Ht to EO « lO to to Ht O co CO lO rH 03 tû 03 Ht lO CO H* 03 tO 05 to Ht to CO rH rH IN to Ht © IN O d » # © èO rH 03 05 O cO o A tO A rH co to co C i ) IN IN • • 03 to 00 03 00 O A tO rH m to to 05 to • H Ht CO lO co to 02 tO 03 to lO co (O IN to • . # 02 03 co IN m IN 1 — 1 rH CO 02 to © © w o W • M o A P A o © • © © © © o ■P fi © P p A i A © O 0 © © . © i H © A © P A © © 43 rH fi © O O A d o © O O O +3 O . O ■P A +3 © A A A ^ O © o © © © © © © © © O © o d Ph a ^ © Ph A I I A A I «H <D O FM A © I •HIN © 44 KO r © © © »H © © © 4^ © A © © A © © d © !d I A O © +» g •H •P O © P •H O A O © © ^ d D M A iH © O fi A O ■P © O © O ©S © *P ^ © © «H ft d © l o © rH rH © © © •P © d © A © A CO • CN to H P -P © © © A n rH O A © g A ë I © M © •H d d â t > D • A O g § © A 0 +3 1 A O f •rH î i D g f I 56 When the October Dental 0# K’s. are considered the boys ranked as follows: first grade, sixth grade, fourth grade, third grade, fifth grade, second grade, and kinder garten, When the May 0. K’s* are studied the boys ranked as follows: first grade, second grade, third grade, sixth grade, fifth grade, fourth grade, and kindergarten. Table XI shows that the fifth grade girls had the largest percentage of Dental 0. K*s in October but that the third grade girls had the highest percentage of 0. K*s. in May. The highest October rankings among the girls were: fifth grade, 39.1 per cent; sixth grade, 34.4 per cent; and, first grade, 28.1 per cent. In May the best rankings were the third grade, 69.7 per cent; fourth grade, 57.6 per cent; and, fifth grade, 51.8 per cent. There was 18.1 per cent of the total number of boys who received a Dental 0. K. in October and 26 per cent of the total number of girls. In May 44.4 per cent of the boys had received a Dental 0. K. and 52.9 per cent of the girls. When the totals for the building are studied in Table XII, the grades that ranked highest in October were: first grade, 36.9 per cent; sixth grade 26.9 per cent; and, fifth grade, 24.5 per cent. In May the grades with the highest percentage of Dental 0. K’s, were the first grade, 62.3 per cent; the third grade, 60 per cent; and, the second grade, 51.7 per cent. 56 May survey. A survey was made at the end of May to determine the number of children who still had dental defects, the number of these children who had started dental correction but still had work to be finished, and the number of mothers working among this group of children. These children were also asked why they had not had dental corrections made. The results of this survey are shown in Table XIII and Table XIV. Out of the total enrollment of 435 there were 212 children with a Dental 0. K. and 223 children with dental defects. Twenty-three children, or 10.3 per cent of the group, were having dental work done at that time. There were 52 working mothers in this group. This was twenty-four per cent of the group. When these children were asked why they had not been to the dentist 51, or about a fourth of the group, gave answers that were listed by their teachers under negligence, indifference and procrastination. A typical reply was that the child kept Intending to go but mother hadn’t got around to it. One fourth grade girl brought an excuse for absence on October the thirteenth that stated she had been absent because of a toothache and that the parents were going to take her to the dentist. When school was out in May they were still going to take her to the dentist. Forty children answered that they didn’t know why they had not been to the dentist. Thirty-eight planned to 57 R Eh A © m 03 co co 03 P co A 03 03 to O H* 03 03 EH to 03 00 H» A 03 tO 03 to A in O tO H* 03 03 (O 03 CO A H* to A A 00 CO Ht A © f© © ÈO o tO A to Ht A to CO 03 e 03 GO o CO O !N to to 03 A CO co O CO I> to co 03 M o to 03 co 03 to 03 H* M O T O © ^ T O P A ^ O f© 44 TO w fî © © A © P p P A o p © O r a O © A © ^ A o A ^ o © © o ^ A ^ © A O fî A 0 P P TOP© A 1 —1 A A A TO O A A A © © © © © © © M ^ O •ô n © A r© fî © © t > > A © g © g l > A g P Q > © © © © p © P © O p Q g © m © Î Z Î fî O 0 © fî < D g A 0 1 I p u • f H P A © P A © I P •H » g . a H >» O © © MA © A m % fl o g p ë r »© © © _, © f© r© i â I I P © P O A A p A A Q O » C A Pi © © "ë A © © f© © A *© © © fS P I M © © A O © n c J I TO © I —I f» § S rH •H o g TO A • © ^fî A P © P P A TO • r H © i > • r H P O © A 8 O i © TO I I & A © © Ë - i '© P • Il TO © _ •rH © A fî >> © P © M A A • r H f) © T O p f© © A i © A S P T O P O © TABLE XIV CHILDREN’S REASONS FOR NON OP DENTAL DEFECTS CORRECTION 68 Child’s Replies Reason Number Per cent Indifference, negligence, and procrastination 61 23,0 Don’t know 40 18.1 Plan to go this summer 38 17.2 Started but haven’t finished 23 10.4 Mother too busy, works 14 6.3 Can’t afford it, no money 10 4.5 The teeth are baby teeth and are too decayed to fill 8 3.6 Costs too much, family needs the money for other things 8 3.6 Parents say teeth don’t need it 6 2.7 Children were absent when school was out 4 1,8 Don’t want to go (afraid) 3 1.3 69 TABLE XIV Continued Child’s Reason Replies Number Per cent Dentist is too busy for an appointment 2 .9 Dentist said to wait 2 .9 There was no one to take care of the baby while mother took them to the dentist 2 .9 Family is new to the city, don’t know a good dentist 2 .9 Did not remind mother 2 .9 Went to the dentist but forgot to get slip signed 1 .6 Decayed teeth are loose, will wait for them to drop out 1 .5 Nature will take care of it 1 .6 Mother gets child assistance and is waiting for a permit 1 .5 Keeps asking mother and she says she will make an appointment next week 1 .5 Went to his dentist but he was going in the army 1 .6 Total 221 60 go during the summer and there were twenty-three who had already started dental work and had definite appointments for further work. Only fourteen children said their mother was too busy because of work or other interests. There were ten children who said the parents could not afford to send them to the dentist. This was considered a doubtful reason as the principal and the school nurse had checked the building very carefully when permits for the city dentist were issued. Other reasons were interesting but the number was not large enough to draw any conclusions. Summary. The dental inspection showed the type of dental defects and the number that existed among the school’s enrollment. An effort was made to find and use procedures that would secure dental corrections among the children. An analysis of the procedures used was made by relating the reasons for correction and non-correction to the instruc tion program. A final survey showed that there was still much work to be done. CHAPTER ¥ SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The value of this dental survey in an elementary school was in the study of the findings, the effort that Was made to improve the dental condition of the pupils, a study of the accomplishments of the survey, and a realiza tion of the weak points that need to be strengthened. I. SUMMARY The purpose of this study. The investigator stated in Chapter I that the purpose of this study was an attempt to find the most effective procedures in securing dental corrections among the pupils of the Abbott Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas. It was concerned with: 1. Finding the number of children who needed dental corrections. 2. Finding the best procedures to use in securing dental corrections. 3. Finding the percentage of corrections accomplished during the school year. Summary of the findings. The following is a summary of the findings; 1. Cases of mottled enamel, diseased gums and severe 62 malocclusion were so rare that these defects were not dental problems at Abbott School. 2. There were 6.2 per cent of the children who had no tooth brush and 6.6 per cent who needed more thorough brushing. 3. Thirty-nine of the fifty children whose teeth needed cleaning by a dentist were in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. 4. In the kindergarten 75 per cent of the children had never been to a dentist. 5. There were 473 cavities in temporary teeth among 218 children, or among 47.6 per cent of the total enrollment. A percentage of 77.8 of these cavities were in the kinder garten and first three grades. The first grade, kindergarten and second grade ranked highest in the number of cavities in temporary teeth. It was found that 54.2 per cent of the boys had 60 per cent of the temporary cavities and 41.1 per cent of the girls had 40 per cent of the cavities. 6. There were 213 cavities in permanent teeth among 138 children, or 30.1 per cent of the total enrollment. The second grade had the largest number of cavities in permanent teeth. It was found that 30.8 per cent of the boys had 48.4 per cent of the permanent cavities while 29.4 per cent of the girls had 51.6 per cent of the permanent teeth cavities. 7. Porty-one boys and sixty girls or 22.1 per cent 63 of the total school enrollment had teeth free of defects at the time of the fall dental inspection and received a Dental 0. K. 8. There remained 77.9 per cent who needed dental attention. 9. Various building and teacher procedures were used to encourage dental corrections during the year. 10. The results of questioning the pupils about their reasons for corrections showed that the desire for personal recognition and public approval was the most effective means in securing dental corrections. Interest and realization of the importance of good teeth on the part of parents secured the next largest number of corrections. A knowledge of the importance of good teeth ranked third. 11. The results of letters sent to parents about non- correction of dental defects showed that procrastination and negligence were responsible for the majority of non-correc tions. 12. Monthly dental corrections were greater among the girls than among the boys. There were 65.5 per cent of the girls who had dental corrections made during the year while 35.5 per cent of the boys had dental corrections made during the school year. 13. Dental corrections increased after Christmas and reached their peak in May. The fourth grade ranked first in 64 number of corrections made and the second and third grades ranked next# 14. At the fall dental inspection 22.1 per cent of the total enrollment received Dental 0. K*s. 16. Corrections and changes made during the year resulted in 48.7 per cent of the building enrollment having a Dental 0. K. by the end of May. 16. At the end of May 51.3 per cent of the building enrollment still had dental defects. Of this number twenty- three children, or 10.3 per cent of the group, had started dental work which was not then completed. There were working mothers among 24 per cent of this group. 17. When the group that had dental defects were questioned as to their reasons for non-correction, 51 of the 221 gave answers that were listed under negligence, indifference and procrastination. Forty children didn’t know, thirty-eight planned to go during the summer, twenty- three were already going, fourteen said that their mothers were too busy, and ten said that they couldn* t afford it. IX. CONCLUSIONS The results of the study are presented in Chapter I¥. The data revealed the following conclusions. 1. A dental inspection and correction program are important because they promote the health of the child and 65 make him a happier individual. 2. A study of this dental inspection showed that kindergarten children need pre-school training in the idea of the dentist as a friend and in regular visits for dental inspection. 5. Neglect of teeth during the pre-school period resulted in many cavities in the teeth of kindergarten and primary children. 4. Early attention to dental decay will save pain, time, and money. 6. Lack of proper brushing habits begin to show up by the fourth grade and result in a number of cases that need dental cleaning. 6. The cutting of the sixth-year molar is a signal for parents, teachers, and school nurses to watch for signs of decay and to give early dental attention. 7. Boys seem to have more cases of dental decay than girls. 8. Boys seem to do less about improving their dental health than girls. 9. More interest in dental health was aroused in the first, second, and third grades. At least, more Dental 0. K*s. were found in those grades at the end of May. 10. The kindergarten had the fewest Dental 0. K’s. at the end of the year. A way of interesting that age child is 66 needed. 11. Parents seem to need a better realization of the importance of dental health. 12. Children and parents need to realize the great importance of preserving the temporary teeth in good condition until the time that the permanent teeth take their place. IS. Teachers seem to need to find further procedures that will promote dental health among elementary school children. 14. Children seem to need better motives for achiev ing dental health and a better realization of the importance of dental health. III. RECOMMENDATIONS An examination of the study provided several recommen dations that would be of benefit in another program of dental correction. 1. The Pre-School Group of the Parent Teachers Association would benefit by a study of dental hygiene and a program of dental correction among pre-school children. 2. The physical examination of pre-school children that is held each spring could emphasize dental hygiene, dental correction and dental care. 3. New Ways of interesting elementary children, especially primary children, in dental hygiene should be 67 tried. 4. A better understanding of the home environment is needed by the school. 5. Parents and teachers need to establish broader contacts in their desire to work for the best interests of the child. 6. An effective means of parent education should be used so that parents may realize the importance of dental health and their responsibility toward the child. 7. A plan needs to be evolved that will make the other half of the school enrollment interested in getting and maintaining good dental health. 8. Every child, parent, and teacher must be interested in the promotion of a good dental health program in each school. BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRâPHÏ- A. BOOKS Brackett, Charles A., The Gare of the Teeth. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1915. 63 pp. Ferguson, Harrison W., A Child* s Book of the Teeth. New-World Health Readers, edited by J. W. Ritchie. Yonkers-on Hudson, New York: World Book Company, 1927. 63 pp. Pranzen, Raymond, Public Health Aspects of Dental Decay in Children. New York: American Child Health Association, printed by J. J. Little and Ives Company, 1930. 121 pp. Wiecking, A. M., and G. L. Drain, Handbook of Dental Health Education for the Elementary School Teacher. University of Iowa Bulletin No. 731. Iowa City, Iowa: University of Iowa, 1934. 83 pp. Wood, Thomas D., chairman. The School Health Program. Committee on the School Child, White House Conference on Child Health and Protection. New York: The Century Company, 1932. Pp. 91-106. B. PERIODICAL ARTICLES Colin, Edward C., “Tooth Decay: Its Cause and Prevention,” School Science and Mathematics, 37:844-7, October, 1937. Dvorak, William, “Dental Health,” The Grade Teacher, 55:36- 37, January, 1938. ______ “Good Teeth,” The Grade Teacher, 55:22, December, 1937. Easlick, Kenneth A., “Bringing Healthy Teeth to School,” National Parent-Teacher Magazine, 33:25-7, August, 1938 _______ , “Dental Health Education: Can School Children Get It?“ Education Digest, 3:16-17, April, 1938. East, Bion R., “Geography and Tooth Decay,“ The Scientific Monthly, 55:582, December, 1942. 70 Elliott, Mark D., “Health, Nutrition, and Teeth,” Child Welfare, 28:88-91, October, 1933. Fitzgerald, Harriet M., “Dental Health Education in the Berkeley Public Schools,” California Journal of Elementary Education, 7:224-27, May, 1939. _______ , “Teeth: A Lesson in Dental Hygiene,” The Grade Teacher, 57:42, September, 1939. Gamble, Mabel H., “A Unit on Dental Health,“ The Instructor, 47:20-21, September, 1958. Glass, Ruth, “Food-Grinders: Material for a Dental Health Unit,“ The Grade Teacher, 58:36-7, January, 1941. Grant, W. Henry, “Importance of Dental Hygiene,“ Child Welfare, 25:477, April, 1931. Hamlin, Fred, “Neglected Teeth Increase Taxes,” Journal of Education, 115:390, May 16, 1932. Harmon, Beryl, D., “Building Sound Teeth: A Unit of Work in Dental Hygiene,” The Grade Teacher, 52:22, May, 1935. Hiseock, I. V., “How Important is the Dental Health Program? Nationally? Locally?” American J ournal of Public Health, 32:169-65, February, 1942. Johnson, C. N., “What About the Child’s Teeth,” Child Welfare, 24:342-5, March, 1930. Kellogg, Gertrude, Phyllis Morden, and Ralph Wagner, “The Care of the Teeth: Some Helpful Activities for Health Week,” The Grade Teacher, 51:33, May, 1934. Latimer, J. V., “Educational Principles Underlying Dental Health Education,” J ournal of Health and Physical Education, 11:541, November, 1940. Lourie, Lloyd, “Gladly, at School,” The Nation* s Schools, 19:29-30, June, 1937. McGiffert, Sarah, “The Care of the Teeth,“ The Instructor, 41:29, January, 1932. Raymond, Anne, “My Teeth and How They Work for Me,” The Grade Teacher, 52:26, 69, September, 1934. 71 Robin, Murray, “Morris High School Copes Effectively with the Dental Question,” High Points, 17:18-23, November, 1935. Rogers, James Frederick, “Comments on London's School Health Report,” School Life, 21:76, December, 1936. Seopp, Irwin W., ”A Unique Plan for Effectively Attacking the Dental Health Problem in Secondary Schools,” High Points, 23:52-54, March, 1941. 'The Dental Health Program in Operation at Metro politan Vocational High School,” High Points, 22:70-1, February, 1941. Singleton, G. M., ”A Campaign for Healthy Teeth,” The School (Elementary Edition), 24:561-2, March, 1936. Watts, Ethel, C., ”A Dental Health Program,” Chicago Schools J ournal, 21:63-67, November, 1939. C. UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS Ueland, Cora, “The Dental Hygienist in Public Health Education,” Unpublished Thesis. The University of Southern California, LOs Angeles, 1942. 142 pp. APPENDIX APPENDIX CLASSROOM MATERIALS IN DENTAL EDUCATION A. BOOKS AND BOOKLETS FOR CLASSROOM READING Ferguson, Harrison W., A Child* s Book of the Teeth. New- World Health Readers, edited "by J. W. Ritchie. Yonkers-on-Hudson. New York: World Book Company, 1932. 63 pp. Especially usable in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. Jimmy Chew. Chicago: Good Teeth Council for Children, Inc., 1940. 31 pp. A dental health booklet for the primary grades to help arouse children's interest in the importance and care of their teeth. Free. Merryweather, John, illustrator, ^ Friend Nick. New York: Church and Dwight Company, 70 Pine Street, 1942. 11 pp The story of a young Greek boy that had good teeth. Free. Minor, Leroy Matthew Simpson, My Teeth: The Story of Teeth Through the Centuries. Chicago: Good Teeth Council for Children, Inc., 400 North Michigan Boulevard, 1940. 24 pp. Interesting stories and colorful illustrations about aids for good teeth. Usable in sixth grade. Free. Morrey, Lon W., Jackie and Judy. Chicago: Good Teeth Council for Children, Inc., 1940. 66 pp. A dental health booklet for the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades that stresses the value of regular visits to a dentist. Free. Swift, Anice Carlisle, Tommy*s First Visit to the Dentist. Chicago: Bureau of Public Relations, American Dental Association, 212 E. Superior Street, 1938. 9 pp. A story of a little boy's visit to a dentist. Single copies five cents. Tanner, M. M., Billy Forget-Me-Not. Chicago; Pollett Publishing Company. The story of the sixth-year molar. Easy third grade reading level. 74 Physical Fitness for Victory Requires Good Dental Health. Form 8, Division of Dental Hygiene. Topeka, Kansas: Kansas State Board of Health, 1942. Information about teeth, good dental habits and dental health. B. CHARTS AND POSTERS Dental Health Posters. Chicago: Bureau of Public Relations, American Dental Association. Four posters showing the value of proper food, exercise, cleanliness, and regular dental attention. Set of four, one dollar. Food and Care for Good Dental Health. Chicago: National Dairy Council, 1959. Emphasized correct nutrition and dental care. Toothbrushing Chart. Chicago: Bureau of Public Relations, American Dental Association. Picture chart that shows the correct method of brushing the teeth. Single copies, twenty-five cents. Tooth Development. Chicago: National Dairy Council. Shows the proper tooth development at different ages. C. FILMS AND SLIDES All films may be rented from the Bureau of Public Relations, American Dental Association, 212 East Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois for one dollar a day or three dollars weekly unless otherwise noted. Lantern slides are rented on the same basis. FILMS About Faces. 16mm., color, sound, 26 minutes. Shows value of regular dental care, nutrition, and mouth hygiene. For upper grade children and adults. Rental, $2.00 per day or $6.00 weekly. Care of the Teeth. 16mm., 16 minutes. Eastman Classroom Film showing ways of caring for the teeth. For children above the fourth grade. 75 How Teeth Grow. 16mm., 15 minutes. Eastman Classroom Film showing growth and development of the teeth. For children and adults. Nature Shows the Way. 16mm., 25 minutes. Produced by the Dental Board of the-United Kingdom. Shows the teeth and eating habits of animals and birds and compares them with man's teeth. For elementary children. Rental, §2.00 per showing or §6.00 per week. The Life of a Healthy Child. 16mm., both silent and sound, 15 minutes. Shows cleanliness, diet, play, visits to a dentist and physician. For children and parent-teacher groups. The Road to Health and Happiness. 16mm., both silent and sound, is minutes. Tells about general child health with special emphasis on dental health. For children and adults. The Smiles Have It. 16 ram., sound, 15 minutes. Tells about the visit of Mary Jane and Tommy to the dentist. For elementary school children and parents. Value of a Smile. 16mm., sound, 15 minutes. Mary Jane and Tommy work out a dental health project for the teacher by obtaining information from their family dentist. For elementary school children and parents. SLIDES Every Child's Treasure. 31 slides, 30 minutes. For the first six grades. The Teeth and Their Care. 13 slides, 30 minutes. For grades five to eight. Your Teeth and Your Health. 43 colored slides, 45 minutes. For grades five to eight. C. HEALTH BOOKS Andress, J. Mace, I. H. Goldberger, and Grace T. Eallock, Safe and Healthy Living Series. New York: Ginn and Company, 1939. 76 Brownell, Clifford Lee, Allen Gilbert Ireland, and Helen Fisher Giles, Health and Safety Series. Chicago: Rand McNally Company, 1935. Happy Living, Grade 4 Everyday Living, Grade 6 Helpful Living, Grade 6 Charters, W. W., Dean P. Smiley, and Ruth M. Strang, Health and Growth Series. Chicago: The Macmillan Company,. 1935. From Morning Till Night, Grade 1 Happy Days, Grade 2 Good Habits, Grade 3 Living Healthfully, Grade 4 Wise Health Choices, Grade 6 Health Problems, Grade 6 Keeping Healthy, Grades 3 and 4 The Body's Needs, Grades 6 and 6 Fowlkes, Jackson, and Jackson, Healthy Life Series. Philadelphia: John C. Winston Company, 1940. Towse, Anna B., Florence E. Matthews, and William S. Gray, Health Stories, Book III. Chicago: Scott Poresman and Company, 1934. E. TEACHER INFORMATION A List of Dental Health Educational Material. Bureau of Public Relations, American Dental Association. Chicago: American Dental Association, 1943. 15 pp. A list of material published by the association. Bundesen, Herman N., Dentistry and Public Health. Chicago: American Dental Association, 1933. Pp. 82-112. A booklet on the care of the teeth, reprinted from “The Growing Child,” Vol. 6, No. 28, Pp. 81-112. Dental Health in Elementary Schools. Topeka, Kansas: Kansas State Board of Health. 30 pp. Contains a teaching unit on “Teeth and Their Care” for grades four, five, and six. Drenckhahn, Vivian, ¥., and C. R. Taylor with the assistance and approval of the Committee on Dental Health Education 77 of the American Dental Association, Your Child's Teeth. Chicago: American Dental Association, 1940. 40 pp. Booklet for teachers and parents that describes the growth of teeth. Excellent pictures and charts. Single copies ten cents. Facts About Teeth and Their Care. Washington, D. G.: National Dental Hygiene Association, 1942. 16 pp. A booklet that discusses the structure, development, functions, and diseases of the teeth. Good Teeth. New York: Metropolitan Life Insurance Press. 11 pp. Discusses the following specifications for good teeth: general health, proper foods, skilled dental care, and cleanliness. Good Teeth At All Ages. New York: Metropolitan Life Insur ance Company Press. 15 pp. Stresses the importance of good teeth. Rose, M. S., and Bosley, B., Feeding Our Teeth. New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University Press, 1940. Teeth, Health, and Appearance. Chicago: American Dental Association, 1940. 48 pp. Answers the more important dental questions. The price is one dollar and fifty cents. The Care of the Teeth. New York: Church and Dwight Company, Inc., 1939. 21 pp. Information on structure and care of the teeth. rm 709 DENTAL PERMIT CARD KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS bool .........................................................Teacher........................................................G rad e ... ime ...........................................................Address........................................................A ge...................... ow Many W orking........................ W ho................................................................................................... h e r e ................................................................................................................................................................ Rent or come .......................................................C ar...................................................... Own H om e............... D . of Children....................................................... Other Dependents )es Child Have Toothbrush?.............................Use It? .................. marks ....................................................................................................... >ive my consent for the dentist to fill, pull or treat the decayed teeth of my child, as the den- t thinks best. ite ........................................................ Signed....................................................................... Parent or Guardian m 707 PHYSICIAL INSPECTION RECORD Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools Health Supervision Parents or Guardians: I respectfully inform you that an inspection of .19., Name of Child Home Address School to show an unsatisfactory condition. Grade have checked this condition in the space below: [ ] Eyesight [ ] Inflamed eyelids Q Hearing Q Discharging ears Q Inflamed nostrils Q Defective posture □ Speech [ ] A skin condition [ ] A rash [ ] Enlarged glands of neck □ Mouth breathing Q Tonsils enlarged [ ] Sore throat [ ] Earache Please consult your own physician, oculist, dentist, and take this notice with you. lat the doctors say, for I am very much interested. Thank you. [] Unclean teeth Permanent teeth decayed [ ] Temporary teeth decayed Q Inflamed gums Q Gum abscesses Q No diphtheria immunization [ ] No vaccination. Please let me know Parents reply— Health Supervisor. (Over) Parents or Guardian. I would be glad to have you make an appointment to meet me at school and talk th things over. Should you care to do so, sign here and return this card to school. Parent or Guardian KANSAS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH DIVISION OF DENTAL HYGIENE TOPEKA, KANSAS ounty. DENTAL EXAMINATION RECORD School.............................................................. Date. ORIGINAL .1 9 . CTiONs: In column 3, “ corrections,” ler will place date, after fam ily dentist D ental 4. For “ cavities,” dentist give numbers. In other columns use c V mark. d copy will be retained by teacher for )1 record. Carbon copy will be filed ice of school physician, nurse or super- ident. B y Teacher Oral Hygiene Pathology Abnormal Conditions 1 Age 2 1 i 4 g - s s * 5 w III S' lii 7 O ' ( D a. !l 8 ill I • ■ ^ 1 o cu G . 9 o III % 10 Ilf g 5- g- t f 11 1 G . 1 2- ; 12 Î O D ate Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Y es No Number Number Totals xxxx xxxx B y D entist (See other side) Examiner. D ental i KANSAS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH DIVISION OF DENTAL HYGIENE TOPEKA, KANSAS INSTRUCTIONS FOR SCHOOL DENTAL INSPECTION The county and/or city superintendent will give to each teacher an original, D ental 1, and duplicate. D ental 2, of the D ental Exam ination sheets, and the pam phlet “D entistry and Public H ealth ” to be used as text in health unit. Prior to the date of inspection the teacher will fill in D ental 1 with carbon copy duplicate giving pupils’ names, ages and grades in system . Columns 4 and 5 will be checked (\/) yes or no by the teacher as to child ever having been to dentist and having own tooth brush. The dentist will make the inspection, filling in columns 6-7-8-9-10-11-12. Where a child’ s m outh is found to be O. K ., he shall place a check mark (V) in colum n 12. The teacher will be supplied sufficient D ental N otification blanks. D ental 3 and 4 to m eet the requirements of her inspection sheet. D ental 3 is to be given to the child whose m outh is O .K . D ental 4 is to be given to the child needing dental corrections. Teacher will please fill out the queries on D ental 4 by checking (V) same as indicated on examination record (D ental 1). If the child’ s teeth are O .K ., fill out D ental 3, tear off and discard D en tal 4. The teacher assisted by the health nurse will use pam phlet in teaching mouth health and to follow up work by pointing out the necessity of elim inating disease and decay in the m outh. T he child needing corrections should be urged to consult the fam ily dentist. Upon com pletion of dental services D ental 4 should be signed by the dentist and returned to teacher who will in turn mark date of correction in Column 3. The school physician, superintendent, teacher or nurse will com pute the totals indicated on form D ental 2 and w ill fill form D ental 5 to report total findings by room, school or system to the D irector of the D ivision of D ental H ygiene, Kansas State Board of H ealth, State H ouse, Topeka, Kan. This program is a Public H ealth measure under the direction of the Kansas State Board of Health, through the D ental H ygiene D ivision. A diseased m outh is the incubator for practically all diseases to which man falls heir. The health departm ent of Kansas urges the wholehearted cooperation of the teachers, dentists and health nurses in this work of combating sickness, con tagion and to aid the subnormal child to becom e normal in physical and m ental alertness. 19-538 8-41— 8M Sets KANSAS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH DIVISION OF DENTAL HYGIENE TOPEKA, KANSAS ounty. DENTAL EXAMINATION RECORD School................................................................................... D ate. DUPLICATE .1 9 . rcTiONs: In column 3, “ corrections,” ler will place date, after fam ily dentist i D ental 4. For “ cavities,” dentist give numbers. In other colum ns use k V mark. il copy will be retained by teacher for ol record. Carbon copy w ill be filed Bee of school physician, nurse or super- ident. B y Teacher Oral Hygiene Pathology Abnormal Conditions 1 Age 2 Î H i I 4 S ' ? ” S - I |s 5 m m .^O lii 7. II 8 ill! ••^1 o o- o- 9 o C t - I T t - ^ . 1 0 H r g p- 5- • g o 11 1 o- 1 2- »? P 12 Î O w D ate Yes No Y es No Yes : N o Yes No Yes No Number Number > Totals xxxx xxxx B y D entist (See other side) Examiner. D ental 2 KANSAS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH DIVISION OF DENTAL HYGIENE T O PEK A , K A N SA S INSTRUCTIONS FOR SCHOOL DENTAL INSPECTION The county and/or city superintendent will give to each teacher an original, D ental 1, and duplicate, D ental 2, of the D ental Exam ination sheets, and the pamphlet “D entistry and Public H ealth” to be used as text in health unit. Prior to the date of inspection the teacher will fill in D ental 1 with carbon copy duplicate giving pupils’ names, ages and grades in system . Columns 4 and 5 will be checked (V) yes or no; by the teacher as to child ever having been to dentist and having own tooth brush. ' The dentist will make the inspection, filling in colum ns 6-7-8-9-10-11-12. Where a child’s m outh is found to be O. K ., he shall place a check mark (V ) in column 12. ; : ' The teacher will be supplied sufiicient D ental N otification blanks. D ental 3 and 4 to m eet the requirements of her inspection sheet. D ental 3 is to be given to the child whose m outh is O.K. D ental 4 is to be given to the child needing dental corrections. Teacher will please fill out the queries on D ental 4 by checking (V) same as indicated on examination record (D ental 1). If the child’s teeth are O. K ., fill out D ental 3, tear off and discard D en tal 4. The teacher assisted by the health nurse will use pam phlet in teaching mouth health and to follow up work b y pointing out the, necessity of eliminatihgf?disease and decay in the m outh. T he child needing corrections should be urged to consult the fam ily dentist. IJpon com pletion of dental services D ental 4 should be signed by the dentist and returned to teacher who will in turn mark date of correction in Column 3. The school physician, superintendent,, teacher or nurse will compute the totals indicated on form D ental 2 and will fill form D ental 5 to report total findings by room, school or system to th e Director of the D ivision of D ental Hygiene, Kansas State Board of H ealth, State H ouse, Topeka, Kan. T his program is a : Public H ealth measure under the direction of the Kansas State Board of Health, through the D ental H ygiene D ivision. A diseased m outh is the incubator for practically all diseases to which man falls heir. The health department of Kansas urges the wholehearted cooperation of the teachers, dentists and health nurses in this work of combating sickness, con tagion and to aid the subnormal child to becom e normal in physical and m ental alertness. .19-538,'., . 8-41— 8M Sets OUR TEETH PASSED INSPECTION FOR MILITARY SERVICE! WILL YOURS? /Pea’ ‘ Provf WHY? Why is it important to have good teeth? 1. Good teeth are essential to proper nutrition, appearance and vital health. 2. 188,000, or, approximately 1 out of 10, of the first 2,000,000 young men examined for army service, were rejected because of dental defects. 3. Good teeth are important in securing jobs. Many industries, including railroads, have, for their employees, more rigid mouth health standards than those required by the army. HOW? How can loss of permanent teeth be prevented? 1. By having the dentist inspect your teeth at least once a year, preferable every six months. 2. By having corrections made, promptly, when defects are found. 3. By eating essential foods, and brushing the teeth morning and evening. K A N SA S S T A T E B O A R D O F H E A L T H — D IV IS IO N O F D E N T A L H Y G IE N E T O P E K A , K A N SA S KANSAS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH DIVISION OF DENTAL HYGIENE TOPEKA, KANSAS D knttal 8 - 4 (Date) - 1 9 , To t h e Parents o r G t t a r d i a n o f . . Diseases of the teeth and gums are the most prevalent of all diseases The only known method of preventing the loss of teeth, resulting from disease, is to have the dentist inspect the teeth at least once each year (better, every six months), and if any decayed areas are found, have them filled while they are still small. This procedure prevents pain, sickness, costly dental restorations and the crippling of the mouth resulting from extractions. It also preserves the health of the mouth and maintains the dental eflSciency required of prospective employees by many large corpo rations and by the armed forces of our nation. The average school child will experience about one newly decayed permanent tooth each year. If these new decayed areas are found and corrected each year as they occur, the cost of dental care and the discomfort of correction may be reduced to a minimum. AN INSPECTION OF YOÙR CHILD’S TEETH HAS BEEN MADE AT SCHOOL— THE FINDINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS: D e n t a l 3 (.Teacher: Please check this item O N L Y if child’s teeth are marked " O . K ." on Dental I) Your child has NO apparent dental defects.............................................. . □ D e n t a l 4 (Teacher: Please check this item and nature of defects, if child’s teeth are not “O. K .”) Your child HAS apparent dental defects that need attention......... □ We urge you to consult your fam ily dentist. The defects are of the follovnng nature: (Teacher: Use check (V) mark, only.) Oral H ygiene.............................. Teeth need more thorough brushing.................................... □ Teeth should be cleaned by dentist.......................................... □ Diseased C onditions................. Diseased gums or abscessed te e th .............................................. □ Cavities in temporary te e th ...................................................... □ Cavities in permanent te e th ...................................... □ Abnormal C onditions................Malocclusion (Teeth faultily arranged)................................... □ M ottled enamel (Fluorine bearing w ater)............................. □ Lost permanent t e e t h ................................................................. □ Upon completion of all work, please ask the family dentist to sign this certificate. Tear it off, and return it to school that corrections may be placed on school record. I have completed all necessary dental work for. .19. 1 9 -4 1 0 0 (Date) 6-42— 200M (OTBa) (Teacher) (Child’ s name) (Family dentist) D e n t al 5 KANSAS STATE BOARD OF HEALTH DIVISION OF DENTAL HYGIENE TOPEKA, KANSAS SUMMARY OF DENTAL EXAMINATION Held in j..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................., 19. County (or town) iRrade ........................ Number of children examined. School Date Number of children without defects (Teeth OK-Col. 12). ,Give totals to the following from Dental 2: 3 Corrections 4 Has Child Ever Been T o Dentist ? 5 Has Child Own Tooth Brush ? 6 Need More Thorough Brushing ? 7 Need Cleaning by Dentist? 8 Diseased Gums or Abscessed Teeth ? 9 Cavities in Temporary Teeth ? 10 Cavities in Permanent Teeth ? 11 Abnormalities Number' Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Number Number Maloc clusion Mottled enamel Lost Permanent Teeth TOTALS, R e m a r k s . .19. Date Supt., Nurse or Examining Dentist. Instructions: This summary, ^ ving the totals of the various columns of the Dental Examination Record, Dental 2, should be filled out by the superintendent, nurse or party in charge, and a copjr sent to the Director, Division of Dental Hygiene, State Board of Health, Topeka, Kansas. 18-5381 8-4 0 --6 M</a>

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Asset Metadata

Creator Lindhorst, Genevieve Lovella (author)

Core Title An analysis of procedures used in dental corrections in an elementary school

School School of Education

Degree Master of Science

Degree Program Education

Degree Conferral Date 1943-08

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag education,OAI-PMH Harvest

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Advisor Thorpe, Louise P. (committee chair), Campbell, William G. (committee member), Lefever, D. Welty (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c37-338065

Unique identifier UC11649357

Identifier EP56493.pdf (filename),usctheses-c37-338065 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier EP56493.pdf

Dmrecord 338065

Document Type Thesis

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Lindhorst, Genevieve Lovella

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA