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27
The special arrangement under which the entire dental supervision of the
children attending certain schools in the neighbourhood is dealt with by the
authorities of the Eastman clinic has continued during the year. When the scheme
was inaugurated in May, 1931, three schools, viz., Cromer-street, Manchester-street
and Prospect-terrace were concerned in the arrangement. During 1932 the following
schools have been added to the number: St. Alban's, St. Peter's Italian (Holborn),
Blundell-street, Buckingham-street, Gilford-street, York-road (Islington, W.),
St. Pancras (C.E.), Lancing-street, Thanet-street (St. Pancras, S.E.), Exmouthstreet,
Netley-street, and Stanhope-street (St. Pancras, S.W.).
It was originally the practice for a portable dental chair to be taken to each
school, and for the mouths of the children to be charted in detail, under supervision
of a qualified dental surgeon, by dental nurses or hygienists, who at the same time
undertook prophylactic work where necessary. The latter arrangement, which is
still in force, occupies a considerable amount of time, and, although a complete index
of the condition of a child's mouth is very desirable, it is of little or no value if the
child fails to attend the clinic for treatment. The unavoidable disturbance of the
normal school routine by the prolonged attendance of the dentists and dental
hygienists caused the authorities of the Eastman clinic to cease the practice of using
the portable chair in the schools, and the question of limiting the charting to an
indication on the record card as to whether the child's mouth is healthy or in need of
treatment is under consideration. By this arrangement less time would be spent
in the schools, but a more thorough examination of the mouth would be necessary
when the child first attended the clinic for treatment. To secure the attendance of
the children the authorities of the clinic have arranged for a conveyance to call at
the various schools to collect such cases as are required to attend, and transport
them to the clinic. The parents are notified in advance and are asked to be present
at the clinic at the appropriate time to receive their children after treatment.
During the year 1932 the total number of children from the schools concerned,
who were dealt with at the clinic, was 3,323. In addition, 3,204 children from
unallocated schools were treated. The work is undertaken by the authorities of the
Eastman clinic without charge to the Council. A small number of scholarship and
central school cases are, however, treated at the clinic at an inclusive charge to the
Council of 7s. a case, this being the average cost per case at the centres throughout
London. During 1932 the number of these cases treated was 7.
Eastman
clinic.
The special dental centre at 22, Gainsborough-road, Hackney Wick, established
in May, 1929, and financed by the Manor Charitable Trust, was closed at the end of
March, 1932. It is intended that work on the lines of this special centre shall be
continued through the Trust for the Berkshire-road school children if suitable
accommodation at that school can be made available for the purpose.
The Wick
special
centre.
A special scheme of dental inspection and treatment was introduced in connection
with the Prunella centre, 31, Cable-street, St. George-in-the-East, when it was
opened in January, 1927. This experiment was instituted as a result of suggestions
made by officers of the Board of Education in 1926.
The main variations in the scheme from the ordinary routine followed generally
at other dental centres were that a combined inspection and treatment record card
was used; that sporadic and medical cases were treated separately from the scheme
proper, but were brought into the scheme subsequently by being re-inspected by the
dentist, these cases being recorded on a combined record card of a distinctive colour ;
that a simple consent form was used, which covered all forms of dental treatment
including treatment under a general anaesthetic; and that cases found at dental
inspections to require gas treatment were given gas appointments in the first instance.
As a result of the working of this experiment extending over six years, it became
evident that the scheme was too elaborate, and involved a considerable amount of
unnecessary labour on the part of the dental surgeon, head teachers and organisers,
without commensurate results. It was therefore decided that, after the summer
holidays, 1932, the work at the Prunella centre should be organised on the same
lines as other centres in London, and the special scheme abandoned. One clear
Speciarl dental
scheme at
Prunella
centre.
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