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dentistry to the child in school. Mobile dental caravans, very large schools equipped
with dental surgeries or the provision of mobile dental equipment which can be taken into
a school and set up on a temporary basis are the means by which such a policy can be
implemented. Dentistry which is available in or alongside schools has been available in
rural areas for many years. In urban areas this principle is only now being investigated.
In Tower Hamlets we have been taking dentistry to our special schools in one of the ILEA
mobile dental caravans during 1968 and this has proved very successful. There are no broken
appointments, dentistry and dental equipment and dental personnel become part of everyday
school life and apprehension is almost completely eliminated. The parents responsibility
is perhaps regrettably somewhat reduced but equated against this disadvantage must be the
fact that these schools are now on average more dentally fit than any other of the schools
in the area.
Dental Health Education
Dental Health Educat ion activities have expanded considerably with the increase in the
establishment of dental auxiliaries from one to three Each auxiliary spends one half of
her total working time on dental health education activities. The primary schools in the
area are divided into three sectors, each dental auxiliary being responsible for her own
schools. The basic primary school programme includes a remit to visit each class in each
school at least once each term, to follow up each school dental inspection with an
individual approach to each child related to the result of their own dental inspection
and to act in all ways as the school's link with dentistry. A theme is determined each
term so that a similar programme may be followed throughout the Borough in each school.
With the return of our dental health stamps in 1969 the administration of this scheme will
also be carried out by the dental auxiliaries and the results of the use of dental health
stamps will be integrated so that they form part of our programme of 'dental health in
action'.
Dental health education activities at the chairside are of course a routine part of
normal dental treatment and the opportunity is taken to indoctrinate mothers in the need
for and the ways of dental preventive procedures.
During 1969 routine dental health education activities will become the responsibility
of the dental officer to whom each of the secondary schools is attached. The demands on the
time of all the professional dental staff has been such that this section of dental health
education has had to be postponed to allow the more urgent needs of the younger children
to be met. Teaching material is still supplied to science departments of local secondary
schools and a project of 'Careers in Dentistry' is being evolved.
A carnival float was again entered in the Borough Carnival this year by the dental
staff (see photograph facing page 80).
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