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69
more difficult small children. The dental auxiliary has also undertaken
dental Health Education in infant and junior schools creating dental
posters to help in this work. 53 sessions were spent on this during 1968.
Dental Health Education continued to be given by the Health Education
Officer and staff as part of general Health Education in all schools
that they visit. All dental officers give dental health instruction to
patients when they attend for treatment.
The yearly progressive programme for the replacement of old or
obsolete equipment continued. A new dental unit was installed at Manford
Way and a new dental chair at Valentines dental clinic. Waiting
rooms have been improved to make them more pleasant for the patients.
This is important because the more relaxed the patient is the easier
to treat. A high standard of decoration in surgeries and waiting rooms
must be maintained both from the point of hygiene and also the acceptability
of the service to the patients. Toothbrushes continued to be sold
at 3d. each in the surgeries to children.
The small pilot scheme in one of the Junior schools of having toothbrushes
for all the children staying to school dinners has continued to
work very well. It is now working in four infant schools and one junior
school. Due to the fact that many head teachers have staffing problems
it has not been possible to expand this scheme to as many schools as I
would have wished. I am convinced that this habit forming routine of
cleaning teeth after a meal could do considerable good in reducing
dental caries. This is shown by the number of small children who insist
on taking a toothbrush to school when they leave an infant school with
this facility and go to the junior department.
Fluoridation of the water supply in the London Area appears to be
unlikely for many years. This major step forward in preventive dentistry
would save thousands of fillings and extracted teeth.
The Ethel
Davis School
Dr. A.J. Howell, Medical Officer in Charge reports:—
This year saw a further reduction in the number of pupils attending
with conditions due to infections. Improvements in preventive medicine
including environmental measures, early diagnosis, better medical care
and modern antibiotics are largely responsible for this decrease. On the
other hand improved obstetrics and surgical paediatrics are preserving
the lives of many infants born with congenital defects resulting in an