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52
War Period.
Mr. Grant left for service with the Army Dental Corps on
September 1st, 1939, and hostilities caused a complete cessation of
dental work from September 4th until September 19th.
On Tuesday, 19th September, 1939, one dental surgery was
re-opened for the reception of urgent dental cases. On 24th
September, 1939, Mr. Horton (Dental Surgeon) and Miss Grimshaw
(Dental Attendant) were seconded to the County of Essex to work
for evacuated Leyton children in the Epping, Ongar and Harlow
districts.
Leyton.
About this time the dental staff with the assistance of Miss
Payne and Miss Hayes, visited the homes of many children who
had been under treatment which was not completed at the time of
evacuation ; and also the homes of those children who had been
dentally inspected in school, but whose treatment had not at that
time been commenced.
Approximately 400 such visits were made. Many of these
children had been evacuated but where the child was found to be
at home the parent was invited to have the child's necessary dental
treatment carried out, and if willing was given an appointment
there and then to attend the Clinic. The appointments were
suitably spaced to ensure that not more than one or two children
with their parents were on the clinic premises at one and the same
time.
As a result of this procedure the attendances increased considerably,
and it was found possible for the one remaining dental
officer to divide his time between Park House Clinic and Leyton
Green Clinic in the proportion of roughly 2.5 : 1, so arranging his
attendances as to coincide with the attendances of Dr. Rennie at
each clinic. Thus any children referred by the Medical Officer for
dental treatment were able to receive it the same morning and any
patient found to be needing a general anaesthetic was able to
receive it by the kind co-operation of Dr. Rennie at the end of his
minor ailment clinic. This system was found to work exceedingly
well until the number of attendants, and the number for general
anaesthetics, had grown to reach almost normal proportions for
one dental officer. Thus it was that one session per week was set
apart for general anaesthetic cases at each clinic.