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8
Dental Care has shown a steady fall in the number of mothers
seeking treatment from the Corporation's dental service, but
there is no reason to believe that this implies failure to obtain
dental treatment. Indeed, it seems clear that wholesale
extractions, previously a feature of the dentistry required by
expectant mothers is now largely a defect of the past. Improved
ante-natal care and the long-term effects of education during
school life by the school dental service, are important factors
in this great.improvement.
Section 23, Midwifery
As far as Croydon is concerned, the fears of 1948 that
domiciliary midwifery would entirely disappear have proved quite
false. With a co-ordinated obstetric service making careful
selection of the place of confinement on medical grounds, with
all facilities for a rapid interchange between home and hospital
and with an emergency obstetric service always on call, a safe
and efficient domiciliary midwifery service has continued to
flourish.
Mothers who have experienced both a hospital and a home
confinement have little doubt about their preference for the
latter. Suggestions that a spirit of rivalry and competition
would develop between general practitioner obstetricians and
domiciliary midwives have proved quite wrong. The prevailing
spirit has been a developing co-operation to ensure the safety
and comfort of the mother and her baby.
Section 24, Health Visiting
Two aspects require comment. Firstly, the very great improvement
in the relationship between general practitioners and
health visitors during the last ten years. Latent antagonism
was first replaced by acceptance, which is now changing to
appreciation of the great help which the health visitor can give
to the general practitioner in family care.
Secondly, the widening scope of the health visitor's duties,
specially in the fields of mental health and health education.
There have always been close links with hospital colleagues
made possible by the ease of communication in a compact county
brough. The links with the mental hospitals serving Croydon
have, however, been the result of deliberate policy made possible
through the active help and wise advice of the former and
Present Medical Superintendents.