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The campaign took place in March 1971 and lasted five weeks. A team of 14 speakers consisting of 5
Dental Officers, 1 Health Education Assistant, 1 I.L.E.A. Dental Health Educator, 1 Oral Hygiene Service
Health Educator, 1 Dental Surgery Assistant and 5 Health Visitors took part, giving the equivalent of 142
Dental Health Education Sessions.
A follow-up campaign lasting one week was undertaken at the end of May 1971 when Pierre Picton, the
well-known clown, visited primary schools in Westminster and distributed apples and posters obtained
through the auspices of the Apple and Pear Council.
I must place on record my appreciation of the wholehearted co-operation of all the Head Teachers and
other members of the schools who participated in these campaigns.
There will be no dramatic improvement in the dental health of the children from these campaigns but it
is hoped in the long term these efforts will bear fruit.
This year saw the implementation of a new grade on the dental staff, namely, a Dental Auxiliary. These
are personnel trained at New Cross Dental Auxiliary School on a two-year course. Their work is limited to
children and certain items of treatment but one of their greatest uses is in dental health education. This is
reflected in the number of dental health education sessions undertaken by the dental staff, namely 94
sessions.
Despite the inevitable shortage of dental surgery assistants referred to in previous Annual Reports due to
a great extent to the low salary scale, the Dental Officers and Auxialiary have made a remarkable
achievement of higher numbers of sessions, the total sessions being just short of the 2000 mark.
It is disappointing to see that the percentage requiring treatment from school inspections is still high
and, in fact, slightly higher than in 1970. Fluoridation of the water supply could do a lot to alleviate this
problem.
The City's School Dental Service was able to inspect just over 55% of the school population. Expansion
of the service is still required but is made very difficult by our inability to recruit Dental Surgery Assistants.
The Dental Officers must be congratulated for maintaining the service despite staffing difficulties.
The expectant and nursing mothers' service shows a decrease in the numbers of first inspections and first
visits for treatment. I do not feel this need cause concern since there is an excellent service provided by the
General Dental Service which is free to the expectant and nursing mother.
The general anaesthetic sessions show a very marked reduction which is due to the efforts of the Dental
Officers to carry out many operations under local anaesthesia and, with the accent on preservation, more
teeth are retained.
I wish to thank the Dental Officers, Dental Auxiliary and Dental Surgery Assistants for their efforts in
maintaining a first class dental service and to all who have assisted in any way.
Statistics relating to the school dental service and the dental service for expectant and nursing mothers,
and children under 5 years of age, are set out in Tables 50 and 51 on pages 99 and 100.
CHEST CLINICS
There are three Chest Clinics in Westminster situated at the following addresses:—
Paddington Chest Clinic, 14-18 Newton Road, W.2. (229 8821).
St. Marylebone Chest Clinic, Council House, Marylebone Road, N.W.1. (935 7766).
Westminster Hospital Chest Clinic, Page Street Wing, S.W.1. (828 9811).
I am indebted to the Consultant Physician at each of these Clinics for the following reports of their
activities during 1971.