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In spite of the Council's support for the fluoridation of water supplied by the
Metropolitan Water Board, the Borough's children are no nearer to receiving this, the
most effective dental health measure of them all, than they were at the time of last
year's Report. Of the thirty five Local Authorities, (representing 6,219,000 people)
supplied by the Board, nine Local Authorities (representing 918,000 people) are still
opposed to fluoridation.
In these circumstances, it seems that a paragraph of the 1966 Report is worth
repeating "In view of the Council's wish to improve fhe dental health of our children by
the fluoridation of water, it is hoped that strong pressure will be applied in the near
future in concert with other London boroughs to reduce the present position of staleaate
and achieve the introduction of this simple, safe and effective public health measure."
(b) Inspection
Inspections are probably the most important routine dental health measure carried out
within the School Dental Service and should carry priority over other aspects of the
Service. Inspections are the one means whereby parents and children can be regularly
informed and advised. To this end, school dental inspections must be carried out to such
a standard that little doubt can be cast on the finding of examining Dental Officers. At
present, school dental inspections are routine every twelve months but should, in future,
be developed and carried out every six months or every second school term. Provided that
the standard of examination is such that one can be certain whether or not treatment has
been carried out since the last inspection, and provided that reasonable liaison is maintained
with the dental profession outside the School Dental Service, only good can accrue
to all concerned when treatment is found to be necessary.
The administrative details involved in school dental inspections and the tactful
handling of communications with parents and practitioners presents many problems. If
satisfactorily solved, the dental health of local children will inevitably improve.
The revised scheme for annual school dental inspections, which was inaugurated in
October last year, has continued to develop and only six of the seventy eight primary and
six of the eighteen secondary schools in the Borough were not inspected during the year.
An average of 70.6% of children of all age groups examined were found to require treatment.
The method of recording the state of oral health of each child has been further
developed and this assessment is detailed enough to provide a check on the pattern of
dental disease in each individual as it evolves. The practical application of this
system, when used to chase those children and their parents who do not take appropriate
action when treatment has been found necessary, is still being developed.
An analysis of the state of the children's teeth in each school is made after each
inspection and a copy of this is sent to the head teacher of the school. The report
shows in each year's age group the total nur.ber of decayed teeth which need filling,
decayed teeth to be extracted, teeth assumed missing because of extraction caused by
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