Report on the institution, maintenance and administration of public dental services and treatment centres / British Dental Association.

Date:
1934?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the institution, maintenance and administration of public dental services and treatment centres / British Dental Association. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    British Dental Association. 13, HILL STREET, BERKELEY SQUARE, W.1. REPORT ON THE INSTITUTION, MAINTENANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC DENTAL SERVICES AND TREATMENT CENTRES.’ (Approved by the Representative Board, October, 1934.) INTRODUCTION. (1) In the past it was inevitable, and under the circumstances desirable, that schemes of Public Dental Service shou!d be cenducted on varying lines on account . sof;their experimental character. The independent development of these Schemes and Services, each under its particular authority, led to some overlapping. Now, however, sufficient experience has been gained to permit of concrete suggestions being offered as to the principles on which the Public Dental Services and Treatment Centres might best be co-ordinated so as to promote economy and efficiency. (2) Examples of such possible overlapping are to be found in the separate existence of: (1) School dental services under the local education authority ; (2) maternity and child welfare, tuberculosis and other services under the various committees of the local government authority ; and (3) dental hospitals attached to dental schools. (3) For the purpose of this report, public dental service has been considered under five main groups: (a) school dental service—the provision of which is a statutory obligation on local authorities, so far as the elementary school population is concerned ; (b) maternity and child welfare, tuberculosis, venereal disease, blindness, mental deficiency : (c) public assistance dental services ; (@) voluntary dental hospitals ; (e) the adolescent. (4) Before entering on a detailed consideration of each main group certain general requirements common to each must be noted. (5) Preventive Dentistry—Although, under present conditions, public dental services must provide primarily for the curative rather than the preventive branches of dental surgery, it is considered that the teaching of preventive methods is the ideal function of a public health service. Accordingly the principles of prevention laid down in a previous report issued by the Association (“ Means of promoting Preventive Dentistry, &c.’’) are applied in this report, e.g. care of the nursing and expectant mother, the pre-school child, the schooi child, leavers and the adolescent. (6) Treatment Centres.—In contradistinction to inspection, treatment should, with few exceptions, be carried out in a dental surgery, and this requirement has led to the establishment of treatment centres. If adequate staff and accommodation are pro- vided, the treatment of large numbers of patients can be carried out more expeditiously at such centres than would be possible on the premises of a private practitioner. It is fully realised that the service at such centres must be regulated if une usefulness
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