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52
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE
Appendix 'C' of the Report of the Chief Medical Officer for the Department
of Education and Science "Health of the School Child for 1962 and 1963" states
that the aim of the service is to ensure that, as far as possible, through
dental health education and a high standard of dental care, children shall
leave school free from dental disease and irregularity, with an understanding
of the importance of good natural teeth and zealous in looking after them.
1966 was the first full year of working since the London Borough of Hackney
came into being in April 1965. Much of the energy spent on the dental services
since this time has been devoted to improving the standards of surgery equipment.
As both staff and premises are used jointly for the maternity and child welfare
and school dental services, everything reported about these aspects of the
service is applicable to both sections. However the statistics only relate
to the dental treatment of school children. Those for pre-school children,
and expectant and nursing mothers will be found on page 22 dealing with the
maternity and child welfare services.
The school dental service in Hackney is administered in consultation with
the Inner London Education Authority. Mr. K.C.B. Webster has been appointed
as Dental Adviser to the Inner London Education Authority, to advise on overall
policy and co-ordination of services throughout London. There is consultation
with the principal school medical and dental officers of each borough so as to
obtain a reasonably standardised service throughout the whole of Inner London.
However, boroughs can then apply the general policy according to their local
needs. All school dental matters therefore pass through the Health Committee,
so that joint decisions can be made with the Inner London Education Authority.
STAFF
At the 31st December 1966 there was a staff of 5 full-time, 2 part-time,
and 11 sessional dental officers, making a full-time equivalent of 10.1 within
an establishment of 13.
The average age of full-time officers was 57 years, part-timers 55 years,
and sessional officers 39 years. The overall average was 50 years. These
figures emphasise the fact that although young graduates come into the service
as sessional workers in order to follow their interest in children's dentistry,
they are later lured away into general practice for the high remunerative
rewards to be gained there. This is a most unsatisfactory state of affairs.
We must do all in our power to attract a greater number of young graduates to
our service in order to supplement the excellent full-timers who are already
with us.
There are 15 dental surgery chairside assistants, 3 of whom are permanently
assigned to Executive Council surgeries. Two of the fifteen possess National
Certificates awarded by the British nental Nurses and Assistant's Association,
which entitles them to a slightly higher rate of pay. It is to be hoped that
in future years more of the girls will try to prove themselves in this way.
POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
The Principal School Dental Officer attended the Annual Conference of the
British Dental Association at Scarborough. Other dental officers have been
on courses in orthodontics (at Whipps Cross Hospital and Queen Victoria Hospital,
East Grinstead) and photographic aspects of dental radiography (Messrs. Kodak,
London). One attended a conference on dental departments in hospitals. Both
Authorities are to be thanked for helping to maintain their dental officers
at a high standard of knowledge.