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Concern must be expressed for the frequency of broken appointments atour
clinics. Parents and older pupils, who may not realise the frustrating waste of
valuable professional time that they cause, will have their attention drawn to the
large number of children on our treatment waiting list during 1967. Greater cooperation
between our staff and parents and head teachers could do much to meet this
problem in the future.
For the time being patients requiring extractions under general anaesthesia are
referred to The London Hospital Dental Institute. The help and co-operation of
the staff of the Dental Institute has been much appreciated. The intended full-time
opening of the dental clinic at the Island Treatment Centre on the Isle of Dogs
makes it probable that extractions under general anaesthesia will be provided at
this Centre. The further development of general anasthetic facilities within the
borough will be made where necessary.
Special Services
At present only two half day sessions per week are devoted to orthodontic
treatment. In spite of this restriction, a satisfactory number of treated cases has
been completed this year and has been augmented by cases treated by dental officers
at their own clinics.
School dental inspections show that many children who require orthodontic treatment
are not achieving it and it is estimated that as many as 25% of the children
require orthodontic treatment of some sort during school life. The orthodontic needs
of the borough can only be met by the eventual appointment of an orthodontist who
would take patients referred through the School Dental Service and could also take
patients referred by local general dental practitioners. Such an appointment might
be combined with a post-graduate training appointment. Whilst this is not possible
at present, owing to lack of accommodation, provision has been made for an orthodontic
clinic at the Ida Samual Clinic, Underwood Road, which it is hoped will be available
during 1967.
Dental care for that important section of the priority classes which includes
pre-school children aged 0-5 years, should be considered the province of the
specialist paedodontist and dental auxiliary, and is dealt with elsewhere in this
report.
88.