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37
Treatment was also given to three boys at Stanmore
Hospital, and their teachers continue the exercises."
DENTAL SERVICES:
I am indebted to the Divisional Dental Officer for the
following report on the Dental Services:—
"The staff consisted of five full time dental officers,
five dental attendants and five dental clinic clerks., a
unit of a dental officer, attendant and clerk operating at
each of the five health centres, each unit devoting approximately
two sessions per week to the Maternity and Child
Welfare services, one session per week to orthodontic
treatment, one to extractions under general anaesthetics
and seven sessions to the routine dental inspection and
conservative treatment for the school health service. In
the report for 1945 reference was made to the problem of
accommodation, the five existing dental surgeries being
occupied. Plans were therefore made for the adaptation
of the Central Hendon Health Centre to provide an
additional dental surgery and a mechanical laboratory,
and also subsequently for the extension of the Mill Hill
Health Centre to provide a second dental surgery there.
Approval was obtained in 1946 for the appointment of a
part time orthodontic surgeon and a dental technician,
and the appointment of a sixth full time dental officer
and attendant was included in the estimates for 1947,
but unfortunately, the building adaptations were not commenced
by the end of the year and no early solution of
the problem of accommodation could be envisaged, and
as a consequence some restriction in the treatment of
orthodontic defects became nececssary in order to maintain
routine dental inspection and treatment in the
schools. As future development is primarily dependent
upon accommodation and in view of the probable delay
in settling health centre policy under the National Health
Services Act, further expansion in the dental services
would appear unlikely in the immediate future save for
such improvisations as can be contrived in existing
premises."