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30
DENTAL SERVICE (MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE)
B.J. West, Esq., L.D.S., B.C.S.(Eng.) - Chief Dental Officer
The treatment of the priority classes is an integral part of the Public
Health Service in Croydon and must be viewed together with the report on
the School Dental Service; thus the adverse factors prevailing will apply
equally to both. The shortage of staff has had a very limiting effect upon
the child welfare service in particular. The much needed expansion in this
field, which is essential to the general improvement of dental health in
Croydon, cannot take place until the number of dental officers employed
not only reaches the present establishment figure, but exceeds it.
At present the only centre which sends appointments for 3 year old
children on a routine basis is the Sanderstead CIinic, though Waddon Clinic
do have a scheme for inviting 3 year old children to a Christmas Party with
the offer of dental inspections at a later date. The routine examination of
3 year olds and their continued attendance afterwards must be extended to
other centres in the Borough as soon as possible, but a large increase in
staff will be required before we are able to do so. Although only two
centres have schemes for sending routine examination appointments for 3
year olds, all the remaining centres will and do treat pre-school children
on request.
In spite of the shortage of staff the number of pre-school children
receiving at least one course of treatment again increased from 952 in 1971
to 984 in 1972, though the total number of visits and additional courses of
treatment fell. There was also a reduction in all forms of treatment and in
the number of sessions devoted to the priority services.
A similar situation exists with the treatment of expectant and nursing
mothers, though this is in line with the trend which has been prevailing
for a number of years. For example:—
In 1952 64.9 mothers were treated for every 100 pre-school children
1962 91 " "
1970 19.8 " " "
1971 15.2 " " " " " "
1972 1 0.1 " "
This is an indication that whilst more pre-school children, whose
treatment can be followed through for a number of years, are being brought
to the Borough's clinics for treatment, mothers are attending the General
Dental Practitioners. This trend should be encouraged for the benefit of both
groups of patient. Much more, however, needs to be done to provide an
adequate cover for pre-school children. There are still too many children
entering school with grossly decayed teeth.