View report page

54
education, there was a mock-up of a dental surgery, using equipment provided byone
of the dental companies. This proved to be very popular with children who were
able to have rides up and down on a modern dental chair and to handle the instruments
displayed. This helps them to become familiar with the apparatus found
in dental surgeries, and familiarity in this context does not breed contempt.
A small mobile exhibition visited sites in the Borough for three weeks.
Both exhibitions were manned by dental officers, surgery assistants and student
auxiliaries. The idea of such exhibitions has great merit, but it is felt
that in future, because of many difficulties related to travelling within
the Borough, portable exhibition material should be used. Such travelling
exhibitions should be taken round to individual schools and left there for
several days, during which time lectures will be given to the children.
A mobile cinema van, loaned by the Oral Hygiene Service, toured many
parts of the Borough with films on dental health. Films were shown on housing
estates and at a number of schools, during the morning mid-day and afternoon
breaks. The latter was highly successful, and it is hoped to repeat this at
some future date. On rainy days the projector was taken into school halls,
with the kind co-operation of Head Teachers.
All clinics put on displays relating to dental health education during
April. At the same time special campaign posters were displayed throughout
the Borough on hoardings, in pharmacies, day nurseries, libraries, schools,
doctors' and dentists' waiting rooms and hospitals. Letters leaving the
Department were franked "Healthy Teeth for Hackney, Visit your Dentist Now",
and the local press kindly gave a great deal of publicity to the campaign.
A competition was organised for the best poster on some aspect of dental
health or dentistry submitted by school children and prizes were given for the
best entry in each of three age groups: 5-7, 8-11 and 12-15 years.
The programme continued throughout the year, especially after the arrival
of the dental auxiliary. She has been a most valuable acquisition. After
each school dental inspection a letter goes to each Head Teacher, informing
them of the number of children requiring treatment, and at the same time
offering a talk by the auxiliary. The response to this scheme, started towards
the end of 1968, has been absolutely overwhelming. Requests are flooding in.
This is due to the excellent working relationships which have been built up
between the Principal School Dental Officer and the Head Teachers.

* Figure of 155.5 does not include 64 sessions worked by people not on our own staff