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VI. DENTAL TREATMENT.
The appended table sets out in summary form the work of the
two dental centres during the year. There have been no changes
in staff and the time-table at both centres remains unaltered. The
total number of patients treated during the year was 6,749,
which is appreciably below the number for last year. That this
reduction in numbers has been due to the building of the new
centre and to the consequent partial dislocation of work at the
Bermondsey Centre is proved by the fact that there has been a
substantial increase of work at the Rotherhithe Centre in each of
the categories set out in the table. I do not think that there can
be any doubt as to the value of dental work in promoting an
improvement in the general health of the borough, and I think
that both Dr. Grantley Smith and Mr. Shapland are to be congratulated
on the general excellence of their work, the high
standard maintained and the extensive nature of their operations.
The Rotherhithe Dental Clinic was rebuilt some years ago, and
owing to the improved office accommodation which has been
provided for Health Visitors at the new Bermondsey Centre, it
has been possible to allot more space to the Dental Clinic at
Rotherhithe. This will greatly improve the waiting-room
accommodation and permit the provision of an office for the
Dental Surgeon separate from his Surgery. The dental section
of the Bermondsey Centre is described on a later page of this
report.