[Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Southport County Borough.

  • Southport (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1962
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Southport County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    128/142 (page 12)
    PRINCIPAL SCHOOL DENTAL OFFICER’S REPORT, 1962 I am indebted to Mr. Martland for the following comments:— The authorised professional establishment of one principal school dental officer aii^ two school dental officers has been maintained throughout the year. It is also good j record that absence from duty of the dental officers through sickness amounted to on:j 10 half-day sessions. The children in all schools, the Day Nurseries, the Hospital Special School and tt | Training and Industrial Centre have been inspected and treated during the year, and i addition one school has been re-inspected. During the year, Mr. Pogrel, the consultant orthodontist, together with the depaii i ment’s dental officers, has completed the treatment of 41 cases of irregularity of the tee:] by appliances and 63 new cases have been accepted. In my report of last year, reference was made to the fluoridation of the natiorri drinking water as a means of reducing the present high and steadily increasing incidenii of dental caries. By the presentation of the Ministry of Health Circular 28/62, 1411 December, 1962, the Government has given its blessing to the processes involved in ; introduction. When established locally, provided the Local Authority and Water Boaa agree, it will be some five or more years before a decline in the caries incidence is apparei ^ and in the meantime it will be the duty of the dental officer to take every opportunity instruct his patients in dental health. In November of this year, a dental officer, with the help and support of Mr. Loverid i headmaster of Farnborough Junior School, gave a short lecture on the care of the teet!< followed by a film “Guilty or not Guilty”. The dental officer joined the pupils during f. 1st and 2nd lunch sittings, after which each pupil was able to follow the technique j correct mouth rinsing, now known as ‘bubble and swallow’. By this means much of t]; harmful effects of the sticky sweet pudding is removed from the crevices and inte proximal surfaces of the teeth. At the time of writing this report it is understood that tl' after dinner mouth rinsing is still practised at the school. The department is greatly indebted to Miss Elce, who is now giving her 7th year voluntary service through the kindly co-operation of the W.V.S.