London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Richmond upon Thames 1967
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond upon Thames]
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The) next table shows a wider range of treatment given but not divided into age
groups.
Table XXIV.
| No. of pupils X-Rayed | 525 |
| Prophylaxis | 366 |
| Teeth otherwise conserved | 160 |
| No. of teeth root filled | 12 |
| Inlays or crowns fitted | 18 |
| Courses of treatment completed | 3038 |
| Cases pending from 1966 | 260 |
| New cases commenced | 135 |
| Cases completed | 58 |
| Cases discontinued | 14 |
| No. of appliances fitted | 250 |
| No. of patients referred to consultant | 13 |
A measure of the success of the combined attack on dental disease by conservative
treatment and dental health education (equivalent of 13 sessions) is shown by the ratio
of fillings to extractions due ta decay of the permanent dentition of more than 24:1,
whilst the ratio for deciduous teeth is 2:1. The national averages are less than 6:1
and 0.7:1 respectively. (Taken from the latest available figures).
Four clinics in convenient parts of the Borough had a session devoted to the
extraction of teeth under a general anaesthetic once a fortnight. For three of these
sessions a consultant anaesthetist is employed on a sessional basis and for the other a
medical officer who is an experienced anaesthetist.
Orthodontic diagnosis and treatment was available to all children who went to
maintained schools and lived in the Borough. The majority of patients attended at a
central clinic in Teddington where there was virtually no waiting list for treatment.
The dental laboratory which had a staff of one chief technician, five senior technicians
and two apprentices, supplied the needs not only of this Borough but also of
the London Boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow, and also
parts of Kent County Council. The output from the dental laboratory was as
follows : —•
Table XXV.
| Dentures | Ortho. appliances | Inlays and Crowns | Misc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 259 | 1953 | 137 | 575 |
A figure not usually published is the number of failed appointments. These occur
when a patient who has agreed to attend fails to do so without giving prior notice. The
number of such failed appointments this year was 2768. It is difficult to assess the
cost of this wasted time or to understand the reason for it, since few appointments
were given without a parent's prior consent for treatment. All appointment cards
carry a reminder in heavy type to "please notify the clinic as soon as possible if this
appointment cannot be kept". It is interesting to note that the National Health Service
practitioner is allowed to make a charge to patients for loss of chairside hours due to
failed appointments.
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