View report page

28
(ix.) The nature and extent of any dental treatment provided by
the Council for tuberculous patients.
A special session for tuberculous patients has been held weekly at the
Council's Dental Clinic, at the Old Ford Wesleyan Mission Hall, to which
all tuberculous patients in need of dental treatment, and for whom such
treatment is not available otherwise, have been sent. Every new case of
tuberculosis coming to the knowledge of the Tuberculosis Officer, in which
dental treatment is required, is, so far as it is possible to do so, referred
to the Clinic.
It would appear that some disappointment has been felt with regard
to the number of patients sent to the Clinic, and with their subsequent
attendances. In this respect, one or two points must be borne in mind.
In the first place, until the establishment of the Council's Clinic there
was no special provision for the dental treatment of tuberculous
patients, so that there was in the Borough a certain accumulation of such
cases requiring treatment, with the result that the number of patients
sent to the earlier sessions of the Clinic was above that which could
reasonably be expected to be maintained. Again, in a large proportion
of the cases sent to the Clinic, the first and most important consideration
is to get the patient admitted to sanatorium as soon as possible, and it
is seldom desirable to delay this until the completion of the dental treatment.
It is also probably true that tuberculosis cases do not attend so
willingly as others. A person suffering from active tuberculosis already
feels sufficiently ill, and even when persuaded of the need for it, is apt
to regard dental treatment as a gratuitous addition to his other discomforts.
Cases requiring new dentures are referred to the Care Committee
for arrangements to be made for defraying the cost of these, and for
assessment of the proportion of the cost to be found by the patient.
(x.) Any arrangements for the provision of nursing or of extra
nourishment for patients living at home.
The Council has power to provide nursing where required for
children up to 10 years of age. For older children and adults no special
provision is made, but where such assistance is required the matter can
be brought before the Care Committee, who will probably be able to
arrange for the services of a district or other nurse.