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24.
on the problem, although a growing appreciation of abnormality on the part of
the Teacher is of importance.
The Dental Scheme continued to provide a comprehensive service for
expectant mothers, children attending the Child Welfare Centres, Elementary and
Secondary Schools,
The resignation of Mr, Motcalf in October, after ten years' service
was a great loss, his educative experience and operative skill having done much
to build up the confidence of parents and children in the value of systematic
conservative treatment.
The orthodontic scheme remains a popular side of the dental work and
good results are being obtained both in improving mastication and in enhancing
appearance. Close co-operation between Medical Officers, Speech Therapist
and Dental staff is preserved in this work, as mal-occlusion is frequently
associated with widely different origins.
The staffing of the dental service generally gave rise to anxiety as
the staff at one time was not sufficient to overtake the volume of treatment
found necessary, particularly as this service has increased steadily in popularity,
I am glad to say that despite the very marked shortage of dental staff
available, this difficulty was eventually overcome by the appointment of a fourth
Dental Officer, The volume of work also necessitated the re-establishment of the
Dental Clinic at the Central Hendon Health Centre,
I an indebted to the Director of Education for the following notes of
the main developments likely to affect the health of children which have taken
place in the educational servicc during the year, and to his continued co-opcration
and that of his staff in the work of the school medical services,
"Children under 5 years of ago.
Arrangements have been made for the admission of children
under five years of age to elementary infant departments.
On 1st October, 1943, there were 753 such children attending 25
Departments, The opening of infants' schools to children under
five is a valuable contribution to the release of women workers
for munitions in the area, in so far as it enabled many mothers
to take up war work who would otherwise not have been able so to
do.