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55
Oral Hygienist.
Miss J. Watts, the oral hygienist, is employed in the area sevenelevenths
of her time and carries out work in regard to expectant and
nursing mothers, children under five years, and school children, and the
amount of hygienic attention, in the form of removal of tartar and other
deposits recommended by dental officers is not more than 17 per cent.
of all cases needing dental treatment.
One of the hygienist's most important spheres of usefulness is in
the educational field, where she can bring to the notice of children and
parents matters of vital interest to them if they are to grow up with
good dentition free from decay and obviate the loss of permanent teeth.
This is carried out by means of chairside talks illustrated by charts and
followed by tooth-brushing under supervision.
Dental Inspection.
Dental treatment is given all children referred by the School Medical
Service teaching or nursing staff, and routine dental inspection has been
carried out at five schools.
B.C.G. Vaccination. School Leavers.
Dr. Ethel Emslie, one of the School Medical Officers, has been
carrying out the vaccination of school children who are 13, and not yet
14 years of age. Dr. Emslie has shown particular interest in this phase of
preventive medicine, and reports as follows:—
B.C.G. vaccination has proved of value in other countries for as
long as thirty years and now in this country the frst progress report
of the investigation planned and directed by the Medical Research
Council has been published, and it is most encouraging. In brief, the
investigation has provided "clear evidence" of the efficacy of both B.C.G.
and the vole bacillus vaccines in preventing tuberculosis in adolescents.
Response to the offer of B.C.G. vaccination of school leavers has
been disappointing, especially when it is remembered that there are in
the region of 40,000 new cases of tuberculosis notified in a year in
England and Wales, and that the disease is responsible for far more
deaths than any other infectious disease and for prolonged periods of
disability in those who recover.
Eight meetings were held at the schools in an attempt to interest
parents, and to explain to the the reasons for B.C.G. vaccination, and to
given them the opportunity to ask questions. The meetings were very
poorly attended, but those who did come showed themselves to be keenly
interested, and there were several useful discussions. Thanks are due to
the office staff who skilfully and at short notice prepared charts of figures
to show at these meetings.
There were no complications among those vaccinated, although
three cases had slight enlargement of an axillary gland to the size of a pea.
I have not heard of any of these giving trouble, although all cases were
asked to report if any trouble should arise. Two cases failed to convert,
one of them after a second vaccination. The other case refused a second
vaccination.
Of the 17 cases not Mantoux tested after vaccination, six have left
school, two failed to keep appointments, and the others missed the first
chance and were vaccinated later, one in December, and the rest in
February, 1956. These have been included in the 1955 figures because