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19
year. A survey which I carried out in another area showed that on average
every child had three teeth affected by dental decay.
The situation is extremely serious. If it existed with almost any other
disease it would be classed as a national disaster, but as dental caries
does not result in death its crippling, disfiguring effects and its accompanying
extreme discomfort are ignored, except by the millions of people
who have experienced them.
The fact is that no effective cure has been found as yet, though the researchers
feel they may be on the verge of a breakthrough. We are left therefore
with prevention and repair as our only weapons to deal with the immense
suffering engendered by this disease, and yet even here we are having to
fight with one hand tied behind our backs. The best way of preventing the
caries virus from attacking the teeth is to strengthen the tooth structure, thus
making it more resistant. This, it has proved, can easily and effectively be
done by ensuring one part per mill ion of fluoride in the water supplies. This
weapon, in most parts of the country, is denied to us. Repair then, though
the most expensive and wasteful method, is all we have at our disposal, and
yet despite the great advance in techniques and productivity, and the ever
increasing awareness and demand by the public for dental treatment which
has resulted to a great extent in the elimination of grossly carious mouths,
dental disease continues to advance unabated. Until more time, money and
effort are devoted to finding a cure for the disease, and until we are allowed
to use effectively every weapon in our armoury, it will be difficult to even
maintain the present situation.
The dental service in Croydon has in the past and will continue in the
future to play its full part in the fight. As a community service it is well
equipped to foster dental knowledge and to promote co-operation between
the various branches of the profession to obtain for the public the best treatment
available. This we have continued to do and the liaison between the
Public and the General Dental Services in Croydon has been increased during
the year.
There have been several changes in the staff, not the least being the
resignation of the Chief Dental Officer, Mr. Palmer, who left to take up his
new post of Chief Dental Officer to the County of Somerset. This inevitably
has had a somewhat unsettling effect on the smooth running of the dental
service, but with the continued efforts of the existing and new staff, and
the good co-operation from the teachers, health educators and public health
personnel, these difficulties have been kept to a minimum. Miss Hathorn
retired after over 30 years of devoted service, and Mr. Sleeman retired in
October through ill health after 17 years with the Corporation. Two part-time
Dental Officers left, the second Auxiliary and several Dental Surgery Assistants
also resigned during the year. We have been fortunate in filling these
vacancies. The number of Senior Dental Officer posts in Croydon was increased
to two with the promotion of Mr. Van den Berg to this grade in
August.