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147
ORAL HYGIENE.
The scaling and cleaning of teeth, and the imparting of
instruction in dental hygiene, are the recognised sphere of operations
of the Oral Hygienist, and since the appointment of Miss Watts
to that post in May, 1951, she has carried out much useful work for
expectant and nursing mothers and school children.
Unfortunately the work which an Oral Hygienist is allowed to
do cannot be expected to go far in relieving pressure in a grossly
understaffed dental scheme in which there are many years of arrears
of conservative dental surgery to be dealt with in addition to the
great number of children requiring emergency extraction of painful
teeth due to the fact that regular dental inspection and treatment
of schools in the area has not been possible. The only way to relieve
that pressure is by appointing the required number of dental
surgeons.
In routine examination of school children in this area it is found
that some 17 per cent. of children needing treatment require the
services of the oral hygienist for scaling, brushing, or the removal
of green or black stains from the teeth.
This does not take into account the value of the Oral Hygienist
in teaching oral hygiene, a sphere where her services are of value to
all children. There is little doubt that it is in this sphere that the
main usefulness of an oral hygienist lies as far as the School Dental
Service is concerned.
The work done by the oral hygienist has been of great value to
patients, and all her work has been well done.
Exhibitions of posters and displays of dental models, organised
and supervised by the oral hygienist, have been greatly appreciated
by mothers and children.
Talks on dental hygiene given to ante-natal and post-natal
patients have been well received and of great value.
At times it has been difficult to find sufficient dental work to
employ the oral hygienist fully in consequence of the shortage of
dental officers and her own limited sphere of operations.
The oral hygienist has not made, and cannot be expected to
have made, any marked effect in relieving the pressure on the school
dental clinics. On the contrary, if her teaching results in an
increased acceptance rate of treatment, the pressure will actually
increase.