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66
REFORT ON THE SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE IN EALINGo
During 1961 the School Dental Service in this Area
has undergone a marked change, which had been heralded by
only a relatively slight trend during I960. The large
increase in the number of Frivate Fractitioners in this
Area now makes it much easier for Farents and children to
get treatment as a family at the same dentist and this
has resulted in a very large flow of child Fatients of
all ages away from the clinics to the Frivate dental
Fractices. It has not been Fossible to determine accurately
the numerical extent of this change-over, but from careful
questioning of children at a series of routine school
dental insFections it would aFFear that well over one
thirdof the children who were attending the dental clinics
two or three years ago are now going Frivately.
It is discouraging to the full-time school dental
officer who has worked successfully for several years on
a Farticular child to find that the Farent has now sought
treatment elsewhere, but the matter must be looked at
realistically and the desirability of having a "family
dentist” can be aFFreciated.
It has not been Fossible to reveal any other factor
that might have Froduced this change. Times of aFFointment,
tyFe of equiFment, etc., all seem to be much as in
our service. Many of the Fractices attended seem to have
frequently changing assistants rather like the School
Service.
One Faradox that was revealed was seven children in
one school who are being given orthodontic treatment
under the National Medical Service by a sFecialised
orthodontist at a Frivate Fractice, (having been referred
there as Frivate dental Fatients), and having to travel
about eight miles each way to get it, when the same
orthodontist is available in the County Clinic a 3d. busfare
away?
It is very evident that the number of children who do
not have adequate regular dental treatment is now much
smaller than it was but as the more aware families take
their children to their family dentist, the cream, is so
to sFeak, skimmed off, and the FroFortion of the aFathetic
and anti-dental treatment Farents with whom we have to
deal becomes relatively higher.