dental service mainly to Government servants and their dependants and the other a School Dental Service.
389. The general dental service is responsible for the routine and emergency treatment of a total of approximately 90,000 Government servants and their dependants. In addition a dental service is provided for in-patients in Government Hospitals and for the prisoners in Victoria, Stanley and Lai Chi Kok Prisons. Regular clinics for emergency treatment of the general public (mainly extractions) are held twice weekly at the Goverment out-patient clinics at Sai Ying Pun in Victoria and at Li Kee Memorial Clinic in Kowloon; similar clinics are held in the New Territories, fortnightly at Tai Po and Yuen Long and monthly at Cheung Chau and Tai O.
390. The clinical work of this section is carried out by the Dental Specialist and twelve Dental Officers. The heavy demands on the service have resulted in a waiting list of approximately two months for those requiring routine inspections and treatment.
391. During the year there were 15,318 attendances by Government servants and 14,017 attendances by dependants. There were 30,596 extractions, 11,080 teeth wore filled or crowned, 969 dentures or special appliances were fitted and 4,325 patients received treatmcpl which rendered them dentally fit.
392. The School Denial Service is staffed by seven Dental Officers and one Dental Nurse. Although the number of participants fell during the year to 32.336 the staff available was unable to do more than provide treatment required urgently by the majority of those entitled to dental care. Priority was necessarily given to the relief of pain and sepsis, and this meant that extractions, numbering 15,917, exceeded the 8,869 conservative treatments given by nearly two to one. Visits to School Dental clinics numbered 26,349.
393. The first qualified Dental Nurse returned to the Colony in November 1957 after twenty eight months of training in Malaya, the training being based on the New Zealand pattern. She will undertake minor operative work in the public service, for children only, under the supervision of a Dental Officer, Future plans envisage a considerable expansion of the training of this type of dental ancillary for work in the School Dental Service. The role of these ancillaries is to assist the Dental Officers by carrying out routine minor operative procedures and by educating patients, parents and teachers to understand and appreciate the principles of the preservation of dental health.
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394. Five new dental clinics were opened during the year. Two of these clinics, in the North Point Housing Estate and at the Tsuen Wan School respectively, are for the School Dental Service. There were three general dental service clinics opened, at the Tai Po Jockey Club Clinic, at the Central Police Station and at the Canton Road Police Quarters respectively. Though the two latter are in temporary accom- modation made available by the Commissioner of Police in view of the urgent need for the service at these two points, they do not provide treatment only for members of the Police Force.
Fluoridation of Water Supplies
395. Approval has now been given for fluoridation of the public water supplies in the Colony. The necessary plant has not yet arrived but when installed it will be designed to bring the concentration of fluoride ions up to 1 part per million in the water. This well tried and proved method of the prevention of dental caries is very necessary in a community where 90% of 6 year old school children are already being attacked by dental caries.
Voluntary Dental Services
396. Welfare organizations operated a number of dental clinics for their own members or for the poor in their respective districts. The Hong Kong Dental Society continued to staff three free evening clinics which are held each week, two in Kowloon and one in Hong Kong. In addition the Society holds a fortnightly clinic in the Ruttonjee Sanatorium. A dentist attached to the St. John Ambulance Brigade Penetration Squad also gave voluntary service for the relief of those in need in the remote areas of the New Territories.
Control of Dental Practice
397. Two Dental Inspectors were employed, on behalf of the Dental Board. on duties in connexion with the control and supervision of private dental practice in the Colony. Premises in use were visited regularly and new premises were inspected before a licence to practise was issued.
398. Two cases of illegal dental practice came to light during the year and were brought to the Courts.
THE PATHOLOGICAL SERVICE
399. The Pathological Institute, situated in one of the oldest build- ings in Victoria, has a direct link with the work of Yersin who, working
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