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31
DENTAL SERVICE (MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE)
J.D. Palmer, B.D.S.(Lond.) L.D.S., R.C.S.(Eng.)Chief Dental Officer
Some general comments on the Local Authority Dental Service are contained
in the Annual Report of the School Dental Service.
A free dental service is provided for expectant and nursing mothers and
pre-school children in the Local Authority's clinics. Taking the figures from
last year's report that there approximately 11,400 three and four year old
children in Croydon, only 911 (8%) were examined at the dental clinics during
the year. In a recent article a professor of children's dentistry pointed out
the inadequacy of dental care for pre-schooi children; less than 25% of this
priority group receive any dental treatment at all, and at a national level only
3% under the local authority services.
There is an obvious need to improve the services for these children,
particularly if it is hoped to limit the onset of dental disease or control its
severity. In many cases parents just do not know that children should be seen
regularly from about the age of three onwards, and few realise that a comprehensive
service is available in the dental clinics as well as under the National
Health Service for these patients.
Educating the parents in the establishment of favourable dietry and oral
hygiene patterns, as well as the need for routine dental care from an early age,
is very important. Throughout the year talks have been given to groups of
mothers at Toddlers' Clubs on these matters, and with the arrival of the Dental
Auxiliary in October/who is trained in dental health education, this important
contact with mothers of the very young is being extended and expanded at the
ante- and post-natal clinics in the Borough by enlisting the active support and
co-operation of the Health Visitors and others in the promotion of good dental
health from the beginning of life.
The three year old birthday card scheme continues successfully at
Sanderstead, with 245 cards being sent out in 1969, and in response to this 77
children (31%) attended for routine examination. However, it is impossible to
assess how many parents were made aware of the need for dental care by the
receipt of this card. When finances permit it is hoped to enlarge this scheme to
cover the rest of the Borough.
For details of treatment see Appendix, page 117.