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 1970
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond upon Thames]
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Continuing from last year nearly 1000 entrants to primary infant schools nt the
time of their first dental inspection were presented with a dental hygiene kit, consisting
of a bathroom beaker, toothbrush and toothpaste, together with a letter encouraging
parents to take an increased interest in their child's oral hygiene.
Perhaps as a result of this and seventeen sessions devoted to Dental Health Education there has been a marked increase in the number of attendances and amount of treatment in the 5-9 years old age group over the last three years. (Table XXIV).
Table XXIV.
| 1968. | 1969. | 1970. | % Increase. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Children at School | 9402 | 9609 | 9920 | 5.5 |
| No. of Attendances | 3771 | 3526 | 4389 | 16.0 |
| No. of Fillings | 1996 | 2488 | 3314 | 66.0 |
| No. of Extractions | 935 | 1803 | 1196 | 27.9 |
| No. of Emergencies | 385 | 309 | 426 | 10.6 |
Five clinics in the Borough have sessions devoted to general anaesthetics at regular
intervals. One consultant and one appropriately qualified anaesthetist are employed
on a sessional basis.
The orthodontic surgeon treated 375 patients with 168 removable appliances and
completed treatment for 47 children. Twenty seven courses of treatment were discontinued
during the year.
The dental laboratory which has a staff of one chief technician, 5 technicians and 2
apprentices supplies the needs not only of this Borough but also of the London Boroughs
of Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hounslow and also, for a short while, Ashford Hospital.
The output of the laboratory was as follows: —
Table XXV.
| Dentures | Ortho. appliances | Inlays and Crowns | Misc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 167 | 1850 | 100 | 547 |
NUTRITION.
Meals and Milk.
The number of children receiving mid-day dinners and milk at maintained schools
on a selected date in 1970 was as under: —
Date Number of Number of % of 1/3 pints Number of
dinners children children milk children
at school having (Primary at school
dinners Schls. only)
22nd September, 1970 *15,574 19,524 79 (appx.) 10,935 11,758
* In addition approximately 1500 meals per day to Teaching, Kitchen and Cooking Staff.
The number of children receiving milk at non-maintained schools on 22nd September,
1970 was 1,711 (number of children in school 2,117).
In September, 1970, meals were being cooked at 41 school kitchens and three
central kitchens.
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