London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Sodium
fluoride
treatment
and dental
hygienists
134
During the year the investigation on the efficacy of applying a 2 per cent. solution of
sodium fluoride to teeth was continued, but the resignations of two of the three dental
hygienists employed on the work caused difficulties in the planned investigation. The
remaining hygienist drew first part of the investigation to a close towards the end of
the year but an account of it was not available for inclusion in this report.
| 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| * | |||
* Figures not available.
†Figures for June-December.
Orthodontics
At the close of 1951, owing to the resignation of orthodontists, only three sessions
per week were expressly reserved for the urgently required service for the correction
of malocclusions. It was not possible throughout i952 to augment this service and only
50 patients could be completed by the part-time orthodontist, a reduction of 172 compared
with the preceding year. Clinicians, however, in addition to their routine treatments
treated a further 209 malocclusions and 47 additional patients were referred to
dental teaching hospitals.
The following table summarises the work done by the part-time orthodontist
| 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | |
|---|---|---|---|
Such meagre figures, compared to the widespread clinical evidence of need for this
type of treatment, are disturbing and very many children who might have benefited
had perforce to be turned away untreated.