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In 1969 a dental officer was made responsible for the re-organisation of the dental
service for handicapped children and for their treatment. The children are now collected at
their schools or centres and taken in groups of six or seven to the dental clinics by special
transport. After they have all received treatment they are driven back to their school or
centre. Since re-organisation all handicapped children in the borough are inspected and
offered treatment at least once a year. The acceptance rate for this group of children has
gone up appreciably since the inception of the new schemes. Statistics are given in
Tables F and G on pages 49 and 50.
Dental Health Education
Dental Health propaganda has been pursued by means of posters exhibited at clinics and
schools, by the distribution of leaflets in schools and in clinics, by talks and film shows
to classes in schools and by chairside instruction. Since 1968 two additional projects have
been introduced, the first of these was the distribution of dental hygiene kits to infant
school entrants during their first week at school. The kits consist of a toothbrush, plastic
mug and tube of toothpaste. Enclosed with the kit is a letter to the parents on the subject
of dental care. The second was the formation of a Clean Teeth Club. Children who have carried
out oral hygiene instructions to the satisfaction of the dental officer for at least three
months, are rewarded with a badge of membership.
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