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140
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE 1969
REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL SCHOOL DENTAL OFFICER
Five Year Review
This is my fifth annual report and it seems to be a suitable time to look
back to my first report and to compare it with the present situation.
In 1965 standards of decoration of premises and of equipment were in
need of improvement. It is pleasing to report that the surgeries are now generally
in good decorative state and have more modern equipment. An additional
surgery at Barley Mow Treatment Centre, to serve the needs of children in the
northern part of the borough, and a second surgery at Brixton Treatment
Centre, staffed by a dental auxiliary have opened. In 1965 little was being
done on dental health education and in accordance with the policy of the
London Education Authority at that time, dental inspections were carried out
only of 5 year old school entrants. At the end of 1969 the staff consisted
Principal School Dental Officer
Senior dental officer
2 full time dental officers
5 sessional dental officers (2.1 full time equivalent)
1 dental auxiliary
8 full time dental surgery assistants
Dental Health Education
There has been a considerable increase in this important field during the
year and this has been due in no small measure to the efforts of the newly
appointed dental auxiliary. Lewisham had pioneered the use of puppet shows
to get the dental health message across. As a result of the joint efforts of our
dental auxiliary and the I.L.E.A. Dental Health Educator, many of our infant
schools found the puppet shows instructive and entertaining. There has also
been a heavy demand for talks in Junior Schools. A total of 71 schools were
visited for dental health education purposes and this involved about 15,000
children.
Some equipment was purchased in the year in order to provide more
adequate and suitable audio-visual aids. It has been most encouraging to see
the great interest shown by the schools in dental health.
Efforts have been made to ensure that the dental health posters in the
surgery waiting rooms are changed more often and requests by dental officers
for leaflets have been met.