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 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Dental service in boarding schools and residential establishments
Recruitment to this section of the service, particularly in rural areas, showed improvement
in 1954 and some stabilisation was brought to the problem by arrangements
made under the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1953. At establishments of a
size which justified the provision of a dental surgery on the premises, though used
only part-time, arrangements were made for a dental officer to attend for inspection
and treatment sessions at specified frequencies. At other establishments, arrangements
were made, if possible, with the local authority's school dental service or with local
practitioners to visit the schools for inspections and to provide sessions in their own
surgeries for treatment, on payment of agreed sessional rates. Less comprehensive
arrangements were made for short-stay establishments. The figures shown in Table VI
are indicative of some improvement but refer only to sessions in the Council's surgeries.
T able VI
| 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary treatment sessions | 449 | 488 | 569 | 611 |
| General anaesthetic sessions | 7 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Number of children inspected | 4,635 | 3,912 | 4,993 | 5,097 |
| Number found to require treatment | 2,045 | 1,836 | 2,452 | 2,654 |
| Percentage requiring treatment | 44.1% | 46.9% | 49.7% | 52.1% |
| Attendances for treatment | 3,427 | 3,622 | 4,502 | 5,794 |
| Temporary teeth extracted | 950 | 690 | 827 | 1,222 |
| Permanent teeth extracted | 173 | 179 | 231 | 291 |
| Fillings in temporary teeth | 746 | 721 | 767 | 680 |
| Fillings in permanent teeth | 1,515 | 2,037 | 2,677 | 2,880 |
| Cases completed | 1,911 | 1,909 | 2,262 | 2,060 |
It is satisfactory to note that the pain relief service, which was all the Council was
able to provide for some years at certain establishments, was replaced in 1954 by a more
comprehensive form of dental care.
Dental hygienists
The second part of the sodium fluoride investigation commented upon in previous
annual reports was concluded in 1954 and results indicated that the beneficial effect of
applying 2 per cent. sodium fluoride to the teeth persists during the second vear after
the application. On 31st March, 1954, a detailed report on dental use of sodium
fluoride and employment of dental hygienists was submitted to the appropriate
committees, as a result of which the continued temporary engagement of two hygienists
was approved. At two twin-surgery establishments where full-time dental officers
functioned, the hygienists assisted within their legal limitations by making use of
equipment set up in recovery rooms.
Joint
appointments
with the
Metropolitan
Borough
Councils
STAFF
the staff employed in the public health department is set out in Appendix E on
page 228.
A further development in the sphere of co-operation between the Council and the
Metropolitan Borough Councils on public health matters was the appointment of
Dr. H. D. Chalke, Divisional Medical Officer for Division 7, and Dr. M. Cran, Deputy
Divisional Medical Officer for that division, to be in addition Medical Officer of Health
and Deputy Medical Officer of Health respectively of the Metropolitan Borough of
Camberwell. Four of the Council's divisional medical officers were then acting, in
addition, as borough medical officers of health and eight other members of the Council's
medical staff as deputy borough medical officers of health.
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