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DENTAL SERVICES
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE
The school dental service in Barking was able during 1965 to provide full
dental treatment to any school child receiving education under the local
authority. The aim of the service has been not only to treat but also to try and
make more children more dentally conscious. The staffing position was fairly
good, the eleven surgeries in the borough were staffed by three full-time dental
officers and six part-time officers employed on a sessional basis, also in March
and September of the year we employed two full-time dental auxiliaries. The
clinic in Becontree Avenue was re-opened in May 1965.
CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT
The saving of teeth has always been the aim of the School Dental Service;
now with more staff it has been possible to enlarge the scope of conservative
treatment. More teeth are being saved today than ever before. The most marked
improvement in dental health has been in the young school child 5 to 9 years of
age.
Treatment was comprehensive with a large amount of advanced conservation by
crowns and inlays and the ratio of teeth filled to teeth extracted was good.
DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION
The appointment of the two Dental Auxiliaries has helped in the year 1965
to bring the Cinderella of our dental services into the limelight. Dental health
talks have been given to 4,169 children in the schools, and chairside instruction
is given to every patient including demonstration with models. A dental health
exhibition was arranged at the local town show and if the disappearance of dental
health education literature was anything to go by it was an enormous success.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
Dental treatment was available during 1965 at all clinics in the London
Borough of Barking for any expectant or nursing mother and for children under
five years of age.
(1) The number of expectant and nursing mothers examined during the year
was 112 and the number who commenced treatment was 81.
(2) The number of children aged under 5 examined during the year was 362
and the number who commenced treatment was 243.
GENERAL ANAESTHETICS
These have been administered by borough medical officers. It is important
in my opinion that the same anaesthetist and dental surgeon should work together
as far as possible. This results in easier sessions and, more important, adds
to the safety of the patient. In an emergency, each member - and this includes
the nurse - should know his or her duties and these can only be fully
co-ordinated after working together for some time. During the year, 1,179
general anaesthetics were administered in the borough.
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