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means that parents and teachers should, with professional advice,
look at the content of school meals and the tuck shop. it would
be unrealistic to try to suppress the tuck shop out of hand, but
items which produce less decay, which are nonetheless attractive
and at the same time nutritious, could be offered in their place.
Dental Health Education should aim at persuading parents
that sound dental health really is worth while—even to the extent
of exercising the same sort of resolution and determination that
they would devote to ensuring that their child will pass the 11 +
examination. And the children themselves must be persuaded that
good teeth are worth striving for—not at 14 or 15 when they are
becoming conscious of their appearance and when it is so often
too late, but much earlier on in life.
7. Treatment of Handicapped Children
The plight of the mentally-handicapped child when it comes
to obtaining dental treatment can sometimes be an unenviable one,
and in this respect the local authority can provide a useful service.
During the latter part of the year, all the children attending
the Junior Training Centre at Gallows Corner received a dental
inspection, and those in need of treatment were offered this at the
nearest dental clinic to the centre — that is in Gubbins Lane,
Harold Wood.
8. Visits
Mr. J. G. Potter. Dental Officer of the Department of Education
and Science, paid an introductory visit to the Borough in June.
New statistical returns of work which were produced by the
Department are now in use, and these are to be extended by the
Ministry of Health to include the Maternity and Child Welfare
Service next year.
9. Statistics
Details of treatment provided for expectant and nursing
mothers and pre-school children are given in Table 8 on page 15
and those relating to School Children in Table 13 below:—