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no provision whatever for attending to pregnant and nursing
mothers or children under five years of age in the Borough.
There was also a singular lack of private qualified dental
surgeons practising in the Borough, and the only gentlemen who
could come under this designation were to be found at London
Bridge.
The first experiment in dentistry for Maternity and Child
Welfare cases was provided by Mrs. Vaughan Nash, at Oxley
Street Centre in 1919. Here a part-time lady dentist had one or
two sessions a week, while the Centre was still a voluntary one.
This was most successful, and it was thought that the work might
be taken up by the Borough, and made available for all cases
which came under the Maternity and Child Welfare Act.
In 1920 Mr. Grantley Smith was appointed whole-time
Municipal Dental Surgeon. He was provided with a dental
mechanic, dental nurse and fully-equipped dental surgery at
98 Rotherhithe New Road. His primary duty was to look after
the teeth of children of pre-school age, children of school age who
needed urgent treatment, expectant and nursing mothers and
tuberculosis cases. Owing to the dearth of qualified dentists in
the Borough, it was also decided to provide for the treatment of
the less wealthy patients who did not come under any of these
categories. These were known as " public health " patients,
because the authority for the provision of dental treatment for
them was authorized by Section 75 of the Public Health Act.
This necessitated the appointment of a second dental mechanic.
The treatment was continued at 98 Rotherhithe New Road,
until May 1924, when the dental surgery was transferred to
110 Grange Road. It was felt, at the time, that this position was
more central for patients, and the dental surgery could get in
closer touch with the Public Health Department. Since this
period the work has steadily developed and a branch surgery was
again opened at 98 Rotherhithe New Road, for the purpose of
serving that end of the Borough, and a part-time dental surgeon
appointed. The work has progressed remarkably well, so that
during the year under report an extra dental mechanic was
appointed, making a total of three dental mechanics. Further