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157
100 per cent agreement of the authorities supplied. The Council
however had reversed its previous decision and is at present opposed
to fluoridation.
This highly beneficial and completely safe step, which
would eventually produce a dramatic reduction in the amount of tooth
decay, has already received official backing from Ministers of Health,
Shadow Ministers of Health, the British Dental Association, British
Medical Association, International Dental Federation, Central Health
Services Council and World Health Organisation.
Dental Health Education
The importance of good dental health can never be too
strongly emphasised and the earlier in life that children are encouraged
to think along these lines, the better.
In March a dental health campaign was held, aimed at more
than two thousand five-year-old pupils in infant schools and an
additional number in nursery classes, nursery schools and a class of
E.S.N. children. The campaign involved talks, films and simple
demonstrations, together with a distribution of toothbrushes, fluoride
toothpaste samples and coloured beakers. This was followed a few weeks
later by the handing out of Happy Smile Club badges and more short talks.
March was also dental health month throughout the borough,
when displays, posters and pamphlets were exhibited at each clinic.
A high degree of co-operation was always forthcoming from
the Education Department, Health Education Section and health visitors,
the latter always being most willing to give talks, demonstrations and
films in schools.
At one clinic a post-Christmas party was held for young
mothers and pre-school children. This included instruction on mouth
cleanliness and the distribution of foods which are less harmful to
teeth than sweets.
A pilot scheme was started in November involving the sale
of applet at school tuck shops. This again was intended to reduce the
intake of sweets and biscuits and it is hoped that the scope of this
project will be expanded in 1971.
The following is a summary of the work undertaken in the
School Dental Service in 1969.