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requiring operation are referred to the Ophthalmic Surgeon at Whipps
Cross Hospital. The number of squint cases operated upon has shown
a steady decline, due to early referral by the medical staff, and this early
treatment is resulting in a decline in the number of children with
amblyopia, and severe squints are now rarely seen.
Mr. H. A. Oatley, the Orthopaedic Surgeon from Whipps Cross
Hospital attends as Orthopaedic Consultant. Fourteen sessions have been
held and, when children leave school, continuity of treatment is available
at Mr. Oatley's Clinic at the Hospital.
Ear, Nose and Throat. Fifteen sessions were held by the Ear, Nose
and Throat Specialist, and, of the 186 children who visited the Clinic,
78 attended for the first time. As the sessions are three to four weeks
apart, children who require urgent treatment are referred direct to
hopsitals by the School Medical Officers.
School Dental Service.
The Area Dental Officer, Mr. A. E. Hall, reports as follows regarding
this important branch of the School Health Service:—
During the year there has been a considerable fluctuation in the
number of dental officers employed, and the average for the year was 3.5
dental officers of the authorised establishment of six. This establishment
is too low to make it possible to give regular inspection and treatment
which is necessary to deal with the vast amount of dental decay at the
present time. With a full establishment it would be possible to give early
attention to all patients presenting themselves for treatment, or found at
school inspections to require such treatment, and in addition a campaign
to stimulate the acceptance of treatment rate by means of talks to children
and parents could be undertaken. As it is the waiting list lengthens and
patients when informed they have to wait for treatment become somewhat
discouraged.
Owing to staff changes it was possible to have a dentist on duty only
eight sessions per week at Leyton Green Clinic from 12th May onwards.
Orthodontic Clinics.
With the shortage of dental officers reported above, orthodontic
work is limited, if routine conservative dental surgery is not to suffer,
and the way to ensure this is to make certain before any orthodontic work
is commenced that both parent and child are aware of the exacting nature
of the work, that some discomfort, and even pain, is likely, and that
regular visits over a period of up to two years may be necessary to secure
results. Unless this is fully appreciated and the parents co-operate successful
results are not likely to be achieved.
Conditions of a developmental nature (e.g. separate centrals, splaying
of centrals and laterals) can, after suitable reassurance of the parent,
be left until the time of eruption of the permanent canines.
Orthodontic work is ill-advised in cases of rampant caries.
Having taken all these factors into account, the orthodontist could
then confine his attention to children with dento-facial irregularities
which are interfering with the physical, mental or social wellbeing of
the child.
Mr. C. Shamash has carried out orthodontic work for one session a
week, and the other dental officers undertake a small amount of this
specialist work.