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56
DENTAL SERVICE.
This service has now been transferred to the Middlesex County
Council.
It has been maintained during the year in spite of severe
staff shortage. There are at present three full-time dentists and
one part-time orthodontist who works five sessions weekly.
Full treatment has been restricted to the 5-7 year age group,
and emergency treatment given to other children. In all cases
of toothache or other acute and serious conditions priority service
is available. During the year this was requested in 3,400 cases.
A free dental service is provided for the public under the
National Health Service Act. The older children are now being
referred to the care of their family dentist. At present approximately
one-third of the dental care of school children is being
carried out by the school dental service.
Two new clinics are under construction at Laurel House,
Northfields, and Abbey Parade, West Twyford, and these will
provide modern treatment facilities when completed. The existing
clinics have been re-equipped and facilities are now very satisfactory.
Expectant and nursing mothers are offered priority treatment
when attending the ante- or post-natal centre. The amount of
work undertaken for the pre-school children has greatly increased
due to better awareness by the parents of the value of early conservative
dentistry.
There has been a substantial increase in the number of temporary
fillings 4,282 (1,369 in 1949) and a decrease in the number of
extractions 6,909 (7,822 in 1949), showing the tendency to conserve
the teeth wherever possible. The orthodontic service continues
to be much in demand and the number of cases treated during the
year was 258 as compared to 185 in 1949.
ASCERTAINMENT AND TREATMENT OF DEAFNESS IN
SCHOOL CHILDREN.
On 23rd January, 1950, a scheme was started in Ealing to
test the hearing of school children.
Children were taken in classes of 40 and a mass test applied
by a nurse, who had received special instruction in the use of the
gramophone audiometer.
About 20% of children failed the first test and these were
then re-tested, when the number of failures were usually reduced
to 12%. Cases of temporary deafness were due to such matters
as colds and wax in the ears.