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61
Anaesthesia at the Dental Clinics of the Willesden Health Centres
by Ronald Jarman, D.S.C., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.,
Anaesthetist to the Willesden Urban District Council, Assistant Anaesthetist to Guy's Hospital and
to Guy's Hospital Dental School, Anaesthetist to the Cancer Hospital, Anaesthetist to the Dreadnought
Hospital, Greenwich.
In May this year, the Council presented the three health centres with new Gas and Oxygen
apparatus. This is called the Walton, the improved Guy's Hospital pattern.
The advantages are as follows :—
1. Gas and Oxygen can be given by the nasal or the face mask method.
2. The length of anaesthesia is prolonged indefinitely thus giving the operator more
time to do his work.
3. Oxygen is given the whole time, thereby reducing the risk of anaesthesia to a minimum
4. The nasal method is less frightening than the face mask, and the confidence of the
children is more easily obtained.
5. The number of visits are reduced, as more work can be done in comfort by this
method, thus saving the valuable time of the mothers and the children.
6. The waiting lists are considerably reduced. Emergency cases can be treated at once.
7. The Mothers are more willing to allow their children to be treated, as everything
is done to abolish fear and to save the child from the slightest discomfort.
8. Nursing and Expectant Mothers can be treated in much shorter time and with no
danger to the unborn child.
9. Patients with bad hearts and chests can be treated with comparative safety.
10. It will be seen by glancing at Mr. Jenning's figures that the number of children
treated has risen considerably, even allowing for the new centre at Stonebridge
Park.
It is necessary with a certain number of the very nervous type of child to give Ethyl Chloride,
which is the quickest and the kindest of anaesthetics. Children from the age of 2\ years to the age
of 14 years take gas and oxygen quite easily by this method, and have soon realised the fact that
there is no danger whatsoever of them feeling pain in the slightest degree.
The team work of all the clinics is to be highly commended, the Dental Surgeon, anaesthetist,
and the nurses all work together which enables first class work to be done. At the same time any
useful suggestion can be carried out, and accepted or discarded as the case may be. Lately carbon
dioxide has been used in conjunction with oxygen, as this is a direct respiratory stimulant. This
again reduces the possibility of an accident and at the same time gives a smoother anaesthetic. This
has been so successful that it is hoped that it will be continued altogether.