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establishment of the post of senior dental officer, and an increase of one dental
officer, one dental auxiliary and two dental surgery assistants. These additions were
to allow for expansion of the service envisaged in the I.L.E.A. policy document of
June 1966 and also recommended in the Department of Education and Science
Report.
Dental Health Education
The number of dental health education sessions rose during 1967 to 112. Regular
talks and film shows were given by the dental auxiliary throughout the year.
In June a programme of visits to 16 junior and infant schools was carried out
by the dental auxiliary working in conjunction with the I.L.E.A. Dental Health
Educator and the Borough Health Education Section. Using the Oral Hygiene
Service Mobile Cinema films were shown, followed by competitions and quizzes in
which the children took part. These visits were made in the school playground during
the lunch hour so that there was as little disturbance of school routine as possible.
In the autumn term a pilot venture in dental health education was begun at
St. Joseph's School, Borough High Street, where with the active co-operation of the
Headmaster and staff an "Apple Club" was formed to encourage dental care.
Throughout the term the dental auxiliary visited the school regularly instructing
the children in tooth brushing and oral hygiene and distributing apples provided by
the Fruit Producers Council.
It was intended to continue the campaign through one school year to assess any
improvement in the children's dental state.