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ft 9
General. Private Practitioners are not now so busy on
account of payments having to be made over 21 years of
age and also tor prosthetic work, and it may be expected,
therefore, that more school age patients will be accepted
for treatment by Private Practitioners than in recent
times. This, to some extent, is an advantage to the patient
as they will be treated out of school hours. Already signs
of this have been noticed; and Private Practitioners are
sending their orthodontic patients for treatment to school
clinics after completing conservative operations and extractions.
This procedure is being experienced thoughout
the country.
I have received co-operation by all members of the
medical staff, and to you, personally, I again express my
thanks for the help and interest you have given to the
clinics.
I am indebted to Mrs. Elizabeth Francis for the
following report:—
Before Autumn 1950, there had been no Dental
Surgeon for nearly three years at this clinic; therefore,
there is now a very long waiting list of those who, during
that time, filled in forms requesting treatment. At the
same time, the condition of the teeth generally is so poor
that we are dealing with a continual stream of children
with toothache.
To do inspections at the 21 schools in this area is
obviously a waste of time at the moment, as I shall not
be able to start systematic treatment for some time.
The dental hygienist, who has been working here
one day a week, has been most helpful both in teaching
the children the rudiments of oral hygiene and in scaling
and cleaning their teeth. She left the County last month
and one hopes that she will be replaced soon as her work
is most necessary.
Speech Therapy.
I am indebted to Miss Joan Pollitt, Chief Speech
Therapist to the Kent Education Committee for the
Statistics relating to the work carried out during the
year:—
Analysis of the work carried out:—
A. Total number of patients 46
Cases closed during 1951 23
Patients attending clinics at
the end of 1951 and, therefore,
carried forward into 1952 23
46