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60
DENTAL SERVICES
(Mr. Robert E. Kean, L.D.S., R.C.S. (I.), Chief Dental Officer and
Principal School Dental Officer. Inner London Education Authority)
In reviewing the dental services for the year 1967 a change in the pattern from preceding years
is evident.
As a result of the resumption of full dental inspections in schools, the number of inspection
sessions rose from 35 in 1966 to 125 in the year under review, and an analysis of the figures reveals
a drop in the percentage of children requiring treatment from 76% in 1966 to 65%, while the percentage
of children found to require treatment on re-inspection in the clinics also dropped from
63% to 56%. Whilst these figures can be a cause for some satisfaction they remain disturbingly
high, and once again pinpoint the urgent necessity for action to be taken for the introduction of
fluoridation of the water supplies.
It is very gratifying to note that the emphasis on conservation of teeth in our surgeries is reflected
in the excellent results achieved during the year. For every permanent tooth extracted 20 were
conserved, against a national average of 5.8; and fractionally under 3 deciduous teeth were
conserved for every one extracted, against a national average of 0.7. As anticipated by the Chief
Dental Officer in his report for 1966 a considerable upsurge in the number of orthodontic cases
occurred, the figures being treble those of the preceding year, and even further expansion of this
most important branch of dental science is envisaged in the future.
Fully comprehensive dental treatment for expectant and nursing mothers and pre-school children
continued throughout the year, and the Ministry of Health report commended the City Council on
the great improvement in this service.
Comparative statistics for the previous year are given in Table 51, page 91.
Staff
Several changes of staff occurred during the year both of dental surgeons and dental surgery
assistants, including the retirement of the Senior Dental Officer, Mr. S. A. Romain, after many years
of local authority service; to him is extended every good wish for the future.
The difficulty in obtaining replacements for two of our most experienced dental surgery assistants
who resigned for financial reasons, strongly reinforces the opinion of the Chief Dental Officer that
a reassessment of the value of the dental surgery assistant in local authority service is long overdue.
The resumption of full dental inspections in the schools coupled with the decentralisation of the
appointment system, and the introduction of several new dental forms, has resulted in considerable
extra clerical duties, and the Chief Dental Officer is of the opinion that a revised grading of Clerk/
Dental Surgery Assistant with a new pay structure should be given urgent consideration, the present
Whitley Scale being little inducement to the recruitment of this most vital personnel.
Expansion of the services
During the latter part of the year the Inner London Education Authority authorised the installation
of a second surgery at the Alderney Street Clinic, and provisions were made in the Estimates
in the hope and expectation that this most urgent project would be completed early in 1 968. It
is also hoped that to bring into use the clinic at Kynaston School as an additional surgery sited in
the north of Westminster would be of considerable benefit.
Equipment
The modernisation programme of the surgeries was completed during the year and all now have
air rotors, compressors, aspirators and up-to-date gas/oxygen machines, whilst provision has also
been made for the installation of new X-ray apparatus at Alderney Street and Marylebone Town
Hall Clinics.
The Chief Dental Officer extends to all staff concerned in the running of the dental services, his
thanks and congratulations on the excellent standard of work maintained throughout the year.