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15
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE
Report of the Principal School Dental Officer, P. G. Oliver,
Esq., L. D. S.
This Service provides routine inspection and treatment for
those attending Borough Primary, Secondary, Technical and
Special Schools. A limited number of children from "grant aided"
schools approved by the local Education Committee are also
eligible for treatment. In conjunction with the above Service
facilities are also provided for those referred under Health,
Maternity Welfare and Mental Deficiency Schemes. Particulars of
work carried out in connection with the former will be found in
the appropriate Report.
Introduction
Although inspection results for the Borough as a whole have
shown a nett increase during the past year, treatment arrangements
for a considerable portion of the local Service have been
seriously complicated by the enforced closure of the New
Addington clinic, and coverage in this district has remained
relatively poor.
As already forecast the unexpected loss of treatment facilities
in this area with an abnormally high acceptance rate was
bound to produce administrative difficulties of some magnitude,
the results of which could not be confined to the district
primarily concerned.
Though interim arrangements for using one of the surgery
units at the Shirley Road Centre were instrumental in maintaining
an essential service for those on the Building Estate, a
very extensive scheme of "redeployment" was immediately called
for to meet the requirements of the many Senior Departments
normally served by the above Centre. This problem could only be
solved by means of multilateral arrangements for treatment at
neighbouring clinics.
In practice steps taken to "cushion" the effects of such
moves proved remarkably effective, and had it not been for
transport difficulties caused by the prolonged ' bus dispute,
which caused many broken appointments, there would have been
little loss of operative time during this period.
As with "improvisions" of this sort there have been reports
of some unavoidable "repercussions" from certain areas affected,
and it will take some time for conditions in the Service to regain
their former equilibrium.