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138
The I.L.E.A. mobile dental surgeries were again used at Oak
Lodge, Linden Lodge, Chartfield and Paddock Schools. An
additional commitment was made for its use in the latter part of
the year. At the request of the I.L.E.A. one was used at Hatchford
Park residential school for the physically handicapped at
Cobham. Basically the mobile surgery is used twice a year for
two weeks at each school for treatment and preventive therapy.
A dental inspector from the Department of Education and Science
makes a visit every second year to inspect the dental services.
Subsequently a report on them is sent to the Department of Health
and Social Security, the Education Authority, and to the Local
Authority. Such a visit was made on 1.3.72 and the dental
services were examined in relation to the 1971 statistics. Overall
the result was good because in general the output was above the
national average. However, the inspector recommended that the
dental services could be improved, particularly in two areas.
Further effort should be made to expand the Mother and Child
Health service and orthodontic cases should be screened more
ca'refully. It was pointed out that the number of discontinued
cases was considered to be too high. He agreed with the Principal
School Dental Officer that the combination of pressure on existing
treatment centres, and the difficulty of access to them, required
treatment facilities in the St.Mary's Park/Queenstown area. Active
consideration is being given to this problem.
Two further surgeries have been installed in secondary schools
making a total of three. Further expansion of treatment facilities
will take place with the building of Larch Road and Brocklebank
Health Centres. Both projects are scheduled to commence early
in 1973. A fire in the boiler room at Victoria Drive Centre put the
surgery there out of action for a considerable period until a new
dental unit could be installed.
Statistics relating to the year's work are as follows:-