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104
Patients are informed what the charge for treatment will be after the
primary examination has been made, and these figures suggest that the
scale of charges in force during nearly ten months of this year have had the
effect of turning patients away from the Hospital.
The number of maternity cases has been maintained, and as the cost
of treatment of these cases is borne by the Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee, the scale of charges in force has not had the deterrent effect
noticed in Public Health cases.
That the number of dentures fitted is less than during the previous year
is to be explained from the falling off in the number of adult cases. The new
scale of charges now in operation is more lenient, except as regards children,
and it is reasonable to hope that when it becomes generally known the
number of adult patients will increase.
Miss Mould, the Dental Hygienist, for whose services we have to thank
the Hon. Arthur Villiers, continued her work throughout the year. Miss
Mould submits the following brief summary of her work : —
"My work during 1932 has been divided between attendance at the Dental
Hospital, talks and demonstrations at the Welfare Centres, and visits to the
homes.
I have attended the Hospital on four half days each week, and have
received visits from 100 mothers for scaling.
My work at the Welfare Centres has, I am sure, led to an increased
interest in the care of the teeth. Early in January a toothbrush drill class
was started, and later the children in this class gave demonstrations at the
Centre. This class is still popular.
When Toddlers' dinners were started in October, it was arranged that
each child should be given a toothbrush and taught how to use it.
The following are, among other, demonstrations arranged at the
Centres: —
Cleaning the teeth; spread of decay in a tooth ; the best food for the
teeth of the expectant mother and young child.
In March, the Dental Board of the United Kingdom kindly lent dental
films which were shown at the Centre.
Home visits of which I have made 112 have been in connection with
children's demonstrations and scaling appointments.