View report page

127
Dental service in boarding schools and residential establishments
Provision of adequate service to the Council's boarding schools and residential establishments
continued during 1953 to be exceedingly difficult, particularly for those lying
some distance outside the county boundaries. Alternative methods of remuneration
for dental practice and, in some localities, a scarcity of practitioners made recruitment
on a sessional fee basis problematical and, in some localities, impossible. Recourse
was made to every conceivable arrangement; and to meet individual sets of circumstances
use was made of the Council's school dental service; of that of other local health
authorities; of local hospitals; or of the services of local practitioners.
These various methods, of varying effectiveness, caused repercussions with other
authorities responsible for dental services, and were the subject of much discussion and
correspondence throughout the year. The coming into force of the Education (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act, 1953, precludes reference of children in educational establishments
to local practitioners remunerated under the National Health Service Act and it
was not always possible to agree contract terms with them. Wherever possible establishments
continued to be visited by Council dental officers and the following table (VI)
indicates the sessional attendance and treatment given by them.
It is regrettable that a pain relief service was in effect the best that could be given,
in the circumstances, at some establishments, but every effort was made during the year
to effect improvement.
Sodium fluoride treatment and use of dental hygienists
The planned investigation on the efficacy of applying a 2 per cent. solution of sodium
fluoride to teeth was concluded at the end of 1952. It was found that for twelve months
after application there was a considerable reduction in tooth decay in the mouths treated,
and during 1953 further investigation was instituted to ascertain whether benefit
continued throughout a second year. A full-time hygienist was engaged on this work
and devoted herself to careful follow-up of the children in the investigation and to
collection of statistical data for examination at the end of the period. In addition, she
carried out the routine oral health duties permitted to this class of ancillary operator.
A tabulation of hygienists' routine work is set out in Table VII, which shows
considerable reduction on the output for 1952, due, of course, to reduction in hygienist
staff and to the second part of the sodium fluoride investigation.