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Following up.
All who do not return the form, and thereby do not
disclose their intention, are home-visited in order to ascertain
whether the child is receiving treatment elsewhere and, if
not, to endeavour to persuade the parent of its importance
and to repeat the invitation to treatment at the clinic.
Unfortunately, the statement that the child is going to
a private dentist is often no more than just the setting up
of a barrier against further persuasion on the part of the
staff. The child ultimately has to be taken to a dentist, but
then, alas, the dentist is usually afforded the opportunity of
doing no more than removing the aching tooth.
The work of following up will become increasingly
difficult as the irreducible minimum is approached. On the
other hand a very encouraging feature is provided by the
co-operation and encouragement by many teachers in promoting
attendance. No school dental service can succeed
without the closest co-operation on the part of the teachers,
and in this respect Finchley is largely fortunate. The value
of sensible encouragement to the children on the part of
parents and teachers cannot be easily over-estimated, as
dentistry from the patient's. viewpoint is never entrancing.
Mere bribes tend to arouse suspicion which results in an
attitude of mistrust or hostility.
Treatment.
Treatment, which has as its object the production and
maintenance of maximum dental efficiency, is carried out at
Bourchier House, Oak Lane, where the children attend by
appointment at quarter-hourly intervals.
As far as is practicable all fillings are completed for the
child before any necessary extractions are made. This course
is adopted because experience has shown that in many cases
where extractions have been made on the first visit, the
child does not return to have the saveable teeth filled. Thus,
the latter policy, lends itself to the loss of would-be saveable
teeth.
Treatment of a conservative nature is aimed at, greatest
stress being laid on the permanent dentition, and every effort
is made to discover defects at their earliest manifestation.