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179
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE
Chief Dental Officer: Miss Ann Hobley. L.D.S..R.C.S.(Eng.)
STAFF
Miss Ann Hobley was appointed Chief Dental Officer and took up this
post early in May. In August, Mr, Patrick T.Fuller was promoted to the post of
Senior Dental Officer.
An auxiliary, whose appointment is combined with the London Borough
of Merton, spends two days a week in one clinic, working under the supervision
of the dental officers in attendance.
It is hoped at some future date to employ a dental hygienist in a part
time capacity to assist especially in the field of dental health education.
Four full time and several sessional and part time dental surgery
assistants are in attendance at the clinics. Crises arise with sickness and
at holiday times, when difficulty is experienced in obtaining relief surgery
assistants. As previously mentioned one of the chief reasons for difficulty
experienced in obtaining dental surgery assistants of high calibre is the poor
rate of remuneration. A trained efficient dental surgery assistant whose
duties combine nurse, receptionist and clerk, is essential to every dental
surgeon in order that he or she may undertake the work for which they are
qualified; without this, their work is hampered in every aspect.
The first dental officers staff meeting was held in June, and these
have now become a regular event in the department's programme. This has enable
the dental officers to meet each other to discuss with their colleagues matters
of mutual professional interest, thus, by becoming part of a team, reducing the
isolation sometimes felt in clinic work, especially amongst the young recently
qualified members of staff. The borough is extremely fortunate in having a
very young staff, and it is hoped that this will be maintained.
At the December meeting, Miss Doreen Land, dental health education
lecturer from the Oral Hygiene Service, addressed the staff on general planning
and preparation for dental health projects, and in particular about the one
proposed for this borough in 1968. She also showed some of the excellent dental
health films available and spoke on the subject of visual aids.