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(d) Dentists in and around Tower Hamlets, where children might be expected to
go for treatment, were issued with dental health stamps to give to the children,
stamps for the general dental practitioner, the hospital dentist and the school
dental officer all being overprinted in such a way as to allow for differentiation.
(e) A follow-up campaign was organised to keep the idea of stamp collecting
before the children and to maintain enthusiasm.
(f) To encourage children to collect stamps, they were offered a "dental
health award" badge, to be issued after twelve stamps had been collected.
(g) To encourage schools, a prize of a golden toothbrush was promised to the
school returning the greatest number of stamps in relation to the number of children
involved.
(h) The stamps - 250,000 of which were printed - are in four colours, red for
an examination, silver for a filling, black for an extraction and a gold stamp,
to be given as a bonus to the children who "stay the course" and become dentally fit.
(j) Towards the end of the year, after the appointment of our first dental
auxiliary, a programme was initiated whereby she will visit every class in each
primary school in the borough, giving further instruction and encouragement.
Approximately 19,500 children in 86 schools are involved and stamp collecting
is very popular. A feature of the campaign has been the enthusiasm with which local
dental practitioners have accepted the scheme, not one refusing to take or issue
the stamps. It must be emphasised that this has been an experiment; a statistical
analysis of the results will be made and may result in modifications in the future.
Tribute must be paid to the hundreds of people who have contributed to the
success of the campaign. During the opening week, thanks to the Director and staff
of the School for Dental Auxiliaries at New Cross, 66 student Dental Auxiliaries
gave lectures at 50 schools supported by Miss Doreen Land from the Oral Hygiene
Service (six schools) and Mr. P. Picton 'Pierre the Clown', sponsored by the Apple
and Pear Publicity Council (30 schools).
The Director and staff of the Oral Hygiene Service donated very practical and
generous financial help with the provision of publicity material and the printing
of cards and stamps. Further dental health education material was given by the
General Dental Council and the Ministry of Health.
Above all,without the enthusiastic co-operation of headteachers, class teachers,
91.