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56
DENTAL TREATMENT
Health, Maternity and Welfare Service
I am indebted to the Senior Dental Surgeon, Mr. P. G.
Oliver, for the following report:—
Expectant and nursing mothers requiring dental treatment
are referred by Medical Officers attending Municipal Ante- and
Post-Natal Clinics. In the case of children below school age
reference comes chiefly from Infant Welfare Centres; a reduced
number of applications continue to be received from Day Nurseries
and similar institutions still in operation.
Since the commencement of the National Health Service all
those attending ante-natal clinics are automatically referred for
a routine dental examination, unless they are in the habit of
attending their own dental practitioner. Though as yet not all
those referred avail themselves of this opportunity, it is felt that
the practice is a good one and should be adhered to as far as
possible.
After a decline of three successive years a rise is again shown
in the total of expectant and nursing mothers referred for treatment.
Whilst this increase is encouraging, an appreciable proportion
of those referred via Ante Natal Clinics still fail to appear
for their dental examination, and thus the volume of work
handled by the dental section remains considerably less than in
the period prior to the Health Act of 1946.
Though following the introduction of certain changes under
the General Practitioners' Service there has been a lessening in
the demand for dental appliances in private practices, no corresponding
increase has been noticeable in Local Authority returns,
and requirements in this respect remain if anything, below the
average. If, as seems possible, many potential "denture"
patients have been already rendered dentally fit during the previous
"free treatment" period, this would account for the present
hiatus, and little harm can result from the dearth of such cases.
The closure of certain Day Nurseries during the year has
unfortunately had a prejudicial effect on the number of pre-school
children sent for treatment, and has to some extent halted the
progress made previously.
Whilst regretting the further curtailment, full credit should
be given to Matrons and staff at these insitutions for their able
help in the dental field.