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24
The Borough Council Dental Clinic.—This provides dental treatment for the
mothers and children attending the various maternity and child welfare centres. The work is
carried out at the British Dentists' Hospital, 31, Camden Road, N. W. 1. The Council pays a
fixed sum for the use of the premises and equipment, and also pays the fees for the services of
the dentist and anæsthetist.

No charge was made for extractions, fillings and scalings; but the patients were
required to pay towards the expense of dentures. For these the dentist is paid separately at
the rate of £2 for one denture and £4 for two dentures, and the patients' contributions
amount to over one-half.
In 1923, 93 patients were fitted with dentures, including one mother who had her old
denture remodelled at a cost of £1. The total cost of these was £321, of which £184 6s. 0d.
was paid by the patients themselves, £70 19s. 0d. by the Borough Council, and £65 15s. 0d.
from voluntary sources, particularly the Metropolitan Hospital Sunday Fund and the Hospital
Saturday Fund. 10 mothers paid the whole cost of one denture themselves, i e., £2 each, and
9 paid the whole cost of two dentures, i.e., £4 each. £5 15s. 6d. was also paid by patients for
repairs and additions to old dentures.
It has been decided to discontinue the use of the British Dentists' Hospital premises
from the end of 1923. A new clinic has been equippe 1 for the purpose in Argyle Square in
premises belonging to the Borough Council, and after this year the dental work will be carried
on in these premises.
Mothers and children are also dealt with at the dental clinic (voluntary) at the St.
Pancras School for Mothers (see p. 22), and the Centres at University College and Royal Free
Hospitals are able to refer cases to their own dental departments.
Clinic for Sick Mothers and Children under School Age.—A weekly clinic
(Dr. F. L. Provis) is held at the St. Pancras Dispensary, 39, Oakley Square, N. W. 1, to which
patients are referred from the Town Hall, from the infant welfare centres, by the health visitors,
and from other sources. During 1923, 327 new cases under five years of age, 57 ailing mothers
and 62 expectant mothers (new cases) were treated at Dr. Provis' clinic. The total attendances
at this clinic were 842 of children under five, 273 of ailing mothers, and 81 of expectant mothers.
The corresponding figures for the Dispensary as a whole (including Dr. Provis' clinic, but not
the tuberculosis department) were:—children under five: new cases 972; attendances 2908;
ailing mothers and expectant mothers: new cases, 140; attendances, 441.
The dispensary Resident Medical Officer also made 482 home visits to 116 sick children
under five.