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achieving this objective is to adjust the level of the fluoride in the public water supply to
that which has been found to be of greatest benefit to children's teeth.
Orthodontics
A considerable number of children with irregular and unsightly teeth can benefit
from orthodontic advice. In many cases treatment may be unnecessary or may be no
more than the judicious extraction of overcrowded teeth. For the more complicated cases
appliances are needed. Any orthodontic service however should be under the control and
supervision of a qualified and experienced orthodontist.
The appointment of a sessional orthodontist early in 1969 was a step forward in the
development of the service in the Borough. Sessions were held each week at Bermondsey
Health Centre and children were referred from all other clinics for consultation and
treatment. It was hoped to increase the number of sessions per week as the service
expanded. Dental officers in the other clinics were enabled to treat the simpler cases
under the supervision of the Orthodontist.
Inspection and Treatment
School inspections fell during the year to 43% of the school roll. This was because
of the need to deal with the increased demand for treatment arising from the expansion
of dental inspections during the previous two years. Until additional surgeries are
available, thereby enabling more staff to deal with the demand for treatment, the target
of an annual school dental inspection for all children will not be reached.
Visits for treatment were up by 5% over the previous year. More children were
opting for school dental treatment and the number of broken appointments per session
fell from 3.1 to 2.9. There was a considerable increase in the number of fillings in
permanent teeth and for every permanent tooth extracted, fifteen were filled. Gas
sessions were down by 30% and there was a continuing decrease in the percentage of
those seen in school who required treatment.
Premises and Equipment
The modernisation of equipment in the existing dental clinics was completed during
the year. The furnishings of waiting rooms and surgeries were also improved and as far as
equipment and furniture are concerned, the standard of the Borough dental surgeries
compares favourably with any in the school dental service. No new surgeries were opened
during the year, as owing to unforeseen difficulties the provision of additional surgery
accommodation at Bermondsey Health Centre was delayed.
Discussions continued during the year to bring into use the rooms in two of our
largest secondary schools. These rooms had been intended for use as dental surgeries
when the schools were first built but had since been used for other purposes. There are
many advantages to having dental surgeries in large schools, particularly in the saving of
pupil's time and the elimination of broken appointments. As well as this, the presence of
dental staff in the school helps children to accept dental care as a natural procedure and
they are more likely to continue to have regular dental attention after they leave school.
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