790

than people on dialysis; more wives of transplant patients wereworking full-time than wives of dialysis patients, although theaverage family income of transplant cases was lower than thatof dialysis patients; and patients on dialysis tended to comefrom middle-class families and were better able to adjust to thedifferent life style required by dialysis.

Although the emphasis during the day was on encouragingdiscussion between research workers and audience, the re-

sponse was muted. The lack of provocative argument might,however, suggest that the areas of agreement between socio-logy and modern medical practice are greater than has beenassumed; certainly there was no evidence of the "ritual

antagonism"2 between the professions.

DENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN

THE poor health of children’s teeth in the United Kingdomreceives further emphasis in a report by a joint working-partyset up by the British Paediatric Association and the BritishPxdodontic Society. 9 out of 10 children aged 15 require den-tal treatment for tooth decay, gum trouble, or orthodonticneed, yet there are no N.H.S. consultants in paediatric den-tistry in any of the general hospitals of Great Britain, and onlytwo such consultants in the dental teaching hospitals.Although the joint committee for higher training in dentistryrecognised the need for consultants in pxdiatric dentistry in1972, no posts in Great Britain had been created outside thedental teaching hospitals and only one clinical senior-registrarpost existed. Many children did not receive an annual dentalinspection and since the reorganisation of the N.H.S. there hadbeen a net reduction of approximately 13% in the number ofcommunity dental officers treating children (from 1500 in1974 to 1302 in 1976).The working-party recommends the appointment of at least

one consultant pædiatric dentist to each region, particularly in’ those regions without a dental teaching hospital. The siting of

special departments for these consultants would depend on .local circumstances, but the report suggests that units of

pasdiatric dentistry could be housed in regional assessmentcentres. Consultants in paediatric dentistry were also neededfor treating children with physical or mental handicap. Sincetheir treatment often required special pasdiatric medical andnursing support, their needs might be better served by a hospi-tal-based service. The report strongly recommends fluoridationof all public water-supplies and the open sale of fluoride sup-plements in pharmacies. To discourage ill advised use of sup-plements area dental officers should disseminate informationabout local fluoride levels in areas which had satisfactory levelsof fluoride in the water. Children could be protected from highsugar intake by the withdrawal of milk formulae needing addi-tional sucrose and of vitamin syrups still available at some in-fant welfare clinics. Doctors should be more aware of the den-tal implications of the drugs they prescribe, such as

tetracycline and phenytoin.

Grading Review for PsychiatristsThe grading of psychiatrists employed in the community

child and adolescent psychiatric services is to be reviewed bythe Department of Health and Social Security. Those eligiblefor review will be doctors who were under the age of 65 on

April 1, 1974 and are currently employed in the communityand adolescent psychiatric services in the N.H.S. in England,but do not hold consultant posts in the hospital service. N.H.S.consultants who undertake additional sessional work in the

community child and adolescent psychiatric services are alsoeligible to have those sessions regraded as consultant sessions.Applications should be made to the D.H.S.S. through employ-ing authorities before June 14, 1979. A health circular givingdetails of the review has been issued to health authorities andsimilar arrangements are being made for those working in theN.H.S. in Wales.

2. See Lancet, March 31, 1979, p. 707.1. Obtainable from the British Pædiatric Association, 23 Queen Square, Lon-

don WC1N 3AZ

An advanced course in arthritis surgery will be held at Princess

Margaret Rose Hospital, Edinburgh on May 28-June 1, 1979. Detailsmay be had from the Postgraduate Dean, Edinburgh PostgraduateBoard for Medicine, Pfizer Foundation, HIli Square, Edinburgh EH89DR.

A conference on Communication-A Key to Living, organised bythe Friendship Group of Charities for sick and handicapped children,will be held on June 5, 1979, at Bloomsbury Centre Hotel, London.Details may be had from the Conference Secretary, Friendship Groupof Charities, c/o ASBAH, Tavistock House North, Tavistock Square,London WC 1.

The Gavin Livmgstone memortal’lecture will be held in the WittsLecture Theatre of the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, on July 21, 1979,at 11.30 P.M. Prof. 1. G. Taylor will speak on the prevention ofsensorineural deafness.

Correction

Women in Medicine.-In the report of the symposium (March 24,p. 660) Dr Susan Roberts was incorrectly referred to as a consultantphysician at Newcastle General Hospital. She is a consultant at Pres-ton Hospital, North Tyneside Area Health Authority.

Diary of the Week

APRIL 8 TO 14

Monday, 9thROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS, 8 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6EZ

6 P.M. Dr H. S. Wolff: New Technology for Old People.

Tuesday, 10thNORTHWICK PARK HOSPITAL, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ

8 P.M. Dr C. Cotd and Dr J. Cooper: Animal Infections and the Family.

Wednesday, llthINSTITUTE OF ORTHOPÆDICS, 234 Great Portland Street, London WIN 6AD

6 P.M. Prof. Hannes Schmidl (Bologna, Italy): Myoelectric Prostheses forAmputation and Congenital Malformation of the Upper Limb.

Thursday, 12thQUEEN CHARLOTTE’S MATERNITY HOSPITAL, Goldhawk Road, London W6 OXG

12.30 Dr M. Preece: Neonatal Adolescentology.ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL MEDICAL SCHOOL, London W2 1NY

5.15 P.m. Dr Rodney Rivers: Hypercoagulabllity and Hsemorrhagic Diathesis.A Neonatal Enigma? (Aleck Bourne lecture.)

International Diary

5th International Joint Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Cir-culation: Lake Buena Vista, Flonda, Feb. 21-23, 1980. (Adnumstra-tor, Postgraduate Programs, American Heart Association, 7320Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75231, U.S.A.).

llth Epilepsy International Symposium: Florence, Sept. 30-Oct.3, 1979. (Dr R. Canger, Studio M.G.R., Piazza S. Ambrogio 16.20123 Milan, Italy).

5th International Symposium on Atherosclerosis; Houston, Texas,Nov. 6-9, 1979. (Dr A. M. Gotto, Department of Medicine, BavlorCollege of Medicine, The Methodist Hospital, 6516 Bertner Avenue.Mail Station A 601, Houston, Texas 77030, U.S.A.).

International Conference on Management and Control of HeavyMetals in the Environment: London, Sept. 18-21, 1979. (CEP Con-sultants, 26 Albany Street, Edinburgh EHl 3QH).

Annual Meeting of the American Lung Association and the

American Thoracic Society: Las Vegas, May 13-16, 1979. HenrvLee Langer, American Lung Association, 1740 Broadway, Bew York.N.Y. 10019. U.S.A.).