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73
standard of dentistry is being carried out in the Clinics and the output
of work also increased.
Dental Health
A dental auxiliary has continued to be employed at Kenwood Clinic
under the supervision of a senior dental officer. Besides the dental
auxiliary's clinical duties, she has undertaken more dental health education
in infant, junior and senior schools, creating dental posters to help
in this work.
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.
Equipment
The yearly progressive programme for the replacement of older obsolete
equipment continued as far as the financial squeeze permitted. A
new dental chair was provided at Manford Way but unfortunately a replacement
unit for Mayesbrook had to be postponed due to the sudden
increase in cost of the unit. Obviously the longer the delay in ordering,
the higher the cost, and should the old unit become completely unserviceable,
the surgery would have to be closed.
The standard of decoration in surgery and waiting rooms was maintained.
This is most important from the point of view of hygiene. The
general high standard of decoration was praised by the Chief Dental Officer
from the Department of Education and Science during a recent visit.
Fluoridation
The benefits of increasing the amount of fluoride in the water supply
to the recommended level of one part per million are still being denied
to the population of Redbridge. Although the Department of Health and
Social Security has campaigned for this very strongly, it seems that it
may take years before this great step forward in preventive dentistry will
occur. This is due to a few misguided Local Authorities who refuse to
have fluoride added to the water.