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150
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE.
This Service deals chiefly with the inspection and treatment
of children attending Borough Primary, Secondary, Technical,
and Special Schools. "Free-place" scholars at certain non-maintained
schools, approved by the local Education Authority are
also eligible for treatment. In addition to the above, facilities
are provided for patients referred under Maternity and Child
Welfare, Tuberculosis, and Mental Deficiency Schemes.
Present staff-consists of six full-time Dental Officers. The
appointment of a further officer has recently been sanctioned, and
this vacancy will be filled as soon as dental surgery accommodation
permits.
Arrangements for Treatment.
Treatment is carried out at six surgeries. Three of these are
at the Lodge Road Health Centre and work as a centralised unit.
A fourth surgery has recently been introduced, but this is of a
temporary nature until the proposed extension to the above
premises is completed.
The two remaining clinics at Duppas Hill and South Norwood
have now seen many years of servcie, but facilities are
extremely limited and more adequate accommodation is urgently
needed to bring them into line with present day requirements.
Plans are now in hand for the establishment of a clinic in the
Woodside area, and it is hoped that the latter should be in operation
early in 1947. A clinic has also been planned for the
Addington Estate as soon as circumstances permit. In addition
to the above activities, a further programme of development made
necessary by future Education commitments, has been put
forward and will be discussed later in this report.
Staffing.
In view of the fact that one dental officer's time is devoted
exclusively to the Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme, only
five dentists are. available for the care of the school population.
With the inclusion of Grammar and Secondary Schools, the total
of the above has now been raised to 25,600 children, i.e., 5,120
per dental officer.
Progressive increases in the acceptance rate (now approximately
70 per cent.), plus the introduction of specialised treatment
such as orthodontic work, has now rendered obsolete the previous
establishment figure of 5,000 children per clinic. On the basis