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50
125 mothers were supplied with artificial dentures, 17 of
whom were in the scale for free dentures and 108. contributed part
of the cost.
Treatment of children under 5 continued as in previous years
and 220 consultations with 513 treatments were made.
The dental service for mothers and young children is undertaken
by the dental officers appointed by the Education Committee,
one-third of the cost of a dentist "unit" being contributed
by the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee. The growth
in recent years of the number of young children requiring conservative
treatment and the increasing popularity of this service
raises the question of adequacy in the number of dental officers,
now numbering three, appointed by the Local Authority. In the
post-war review of this service, a strong case can be made for the
appointment of an additional dental officer for maternity and
child welfare work alone.
War-Time Nurseries Service.
No new nurseries were opened in 1944, the total number remaining
at nine, one of which is a residential nursery at Bengeo
House, Hertford.
The standard of work in the nurseries has been maintained
at a high level throughout the year. The nurseries have been consistently
well maintained, and have had many additional improvements!,
such as the repainting of the tables and chairs as these became
shabby, new nursery friezes and pictures. A happy atmosphere
has been evident throughout, and the parents have been friendly
and co-operative, thus reflecting the care and interest shown
by the staff in their work. During the year parents' meetings,
held in most oases monthly, were well attended, and have been
found to be of great value in the smooth running of this service.
Measures were provided in a Ministry of Health circular
issued in February, 1944, to meet the difficulties of maintaining an
adequate staff by giving permission for the appointment of a certain
number of additional untrained and partly trained staff, and
for the appointment of additional nursery nurses where untrained
workers were unobtainable.