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156
Fluoridation
In the latter half of the year the Government issued its report
on fluoridation of water supplies, after eleven years of intensive
investigation into the subject.
The report confirmed that such a process produces a dramatic
reduction in the amount of caries in children's teeth and that the benefits
of this, both local and general, are continued into adult life. It also
confirmed that the addition of one part per million of fluoride to drinking
water has produced no proven deleterious effects on the health of individuals.
Large reductions in the numbers of extractions and complicated
fillings would undoubtedly follow the adoption of this measure, with the
result that far less pain and ill health would be suffered because of
carious teeth.
In areas where there is a single complex network supplying water
to many authorities, it is almost impossible to provide a separate supply
of fluoridated water to those authorities who wish to receive it, if other
authorities are opposed to the process. For example, although threequarters
of the twenty eight London Boroughs supplied by the Metropolitan
Water Board have agreed to fluoridation of their water supply, they are
prevented from receiving same because one quarter of the boroughs have
voted against the idea.
Dental Auxiliaries
At present no dental auxiliaries are employed. However, these
ancillary workers will have an increasingly important role to play in future
local authority services. They can relieve the dental officers of some of
the simpler operative procedures and have proved to be extremely popular
with pre-school patients and younger school children.
Their complementary role lies in the field of dental health
education and much useful work can be allotted to them in this direction.
Dental Health Education
As always this remains a vital factor in the fight to maintain
public awareness of the importance of good dental health.
February was Dental Health Month, with special poster and pamphlet
displays in all clinics. In November the General Dental Council's display
caravan was engaged for the first time in the borough and formed part of
two health exhibitions. Valuable assistance was also given by health
visitors throughout the year, who undertook to include the subject of
Dental Health in their talks to school children.