[Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Bournemouth County Borough.

  • Bournemouth (England). County Borough Council. nb2004301338.
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1949] / Medical Officer of Health, Bournemouth County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    28/92 (page 26)
    REPORT OF THE SENIOR DENTAL OFFICER Dental Treatment for Mothers and Young Children During the year 1949 there was a fall in the number of expectant and nursing mothers attending our dental clinics. This I consider was due to the fact that the free dental treatment available under the National Health Scheme removed the financial advantage which they gained previously by coming to us. I feel that we can best adjust our scheme of Dental Service to the changed situation, by devoting more time to the pre-school children. Generally speaking, private dentists have so much to do for the adult population that they are happy to leave the dental care of the children to us, and we are taking steps to bring more of these young people under our care. We have found all too frequently that when children attend primary school many of them have advanced decay and even unsaveable teeth, which sad state of affairs would have been avoided had we been able to see them from the age of about three years, and given advice and treatment earlier. There appears to have been a tendency for parents to send their children to school at an earlier age than in previous 3^ears and consequently some children under the age of five were dealt with by the School Dental Service. Staff Whilst our present staff is more than sufficient to supply the demand for treatment of mothers there is room for a considerable expansion in the service for the children under the age of five years. Our proposed new dental clinic at East Howe should be