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68
REPORT OF THE DENTAL SURGEON.
June, 1939.
To the Medical Officer of Health,
Borough of Barking.
I have the honour to present the Annual Report of
the Maternity and Child Welfare Dental Services for
the year ending December 31st, 1938.
The number of patients attending for treatment at
the Woodward Road Clinic is still higher than can be
accommodated with the prosthetic sessions at the disposal
of this Clinic and it is proposed that one Maternity
and Child Welfare session at East Street Clinic in
future be utilized for the convenience of Woodward
Road Clinic patients requiring denture work.
The prejudice against the filling of teeth for toddlers
and under school-age children is still a handicap to the
service, for it follows that if a child presents itself at
school for the first time in need of considerable dental
attention, as so often is the case, the necessity of giving
considerable dental treatment is placed on the School
Dental Service. Also the patient by the time he has
reached school-age has formed a regrettable personal
objection to fillings, such objection being based purely
on the parent's early refusals.
Fortunately a brighter picture is presented by the
increasing acceptance of conservative work by the
younger mothers, and those in the 20-30 year age group
give a very welcome relief in attending for early treatment,
thus avoiding the necessity of extensive extractions
as the only curative procedure. It is these
mothers to whom we look for assistance in the future
dental work among the pre-school child, by their