School Dentists

[Lysanderix]

Whilst we are on the topic of Victorian dentists I wonder how many of us were given the dubious “treat” of a trip to Owler Lane School for the extraction of an aching tooth?

The early experience put me off dentists for life…and I am now 80!

[Ponytail]

My first visit to the School Dentist was the one at Hatfield House Lane Secondary School, being a pupil at the Junior School between 1956 - 1963. 

The experience, was I remember, nauseating. Entering the room told very abruptly to sit in a chair and the dentist appeared to come at me with a mask covering my nose and mouth. Gas must have been applied through it because the next thing I remember was the feeling of spinning round and round in the chair and feeling extremely sick. Then I was despatched out of the door with a something to cover my mouth with, think that was incase there was blood...... "Next!" I heard shout. 

Lysanderix, the experience has stayed with me as well, no wonder we dreaded the dentist. 

 

[paulhib48]

I shared a very similar experience.

The school dentist for our area was located at Lowfield School at Heeley  though I’m sure I had an equally memorable trip to one in Orchard Sq for some reason .

Words can’t describe the horrors inflicted on young children in those places. The smell of gas , the awful rubber chocks that they shoved in your mouth , the red rubber aprons worn by the dentists .

It really was the stuff of nightmares and it was many years before I could face a dental visit again 

[Lysanderix]

Related to the School Dentists were the School Clinics ,where many a child was sent with a sore and came back with it covered by a coating of violet antiseptic (iodine?) Early post War ,the health of children was very important ,especially with food rationing ,and oodles of wonderful concentrated orange juice, cod liver oil and malt were available …as well as sun ray treatment…courtesy of the Education Committee, Welfare and the NHS…….which provided a service on demand, without appointments needed to consult a GP and A & E didn’t involve a mammoth wait!

[History dude]

In the 60's and 70's the problem with the school dentists was that they got paid for filling teeth. So they filled them even though they probally didn't need to.  This contributed to many to many people having a mouth of metal!  Of course the fillings didn't last. So 20 years later or less they were falling to bits! Only you now had to pay the dentists to fix them.

[Alchemia]

On 01/11/2023 at 20:14, Lysanderix said:

Related to the School Dentists were the School Clinics ,where many a child was sent with a sore and came back with it covered by a coating of violet antiseptic (iodine?) Early post War ,the health of children was very important ,especially with food rationing ,and oodles of wonderful concentrated orange juice, cod liver oil and malt were available …as well as sun ray treatment…courtesy of the Education Committee, Welfare and the NHS…….which provided a service on demand, without appointments needed to consult a GP and A & E didn’t involve a mammoth wait!

It would probably have been Gentian Violet, an antimicrobial dye derived from coal tar. It's still around... but it's use much restricted in the UK nowadays after clinical research and availability of better alternatives to prevent/treat infection.

[paulhib48]

13 hours ago, Alchemia said:

It would probably have been Gentian Violet, an antimicrobial dye derived from coal tar. It's still around... but it's use much restricted in the UK nowadays after clinical research and availability of better alternatives to prevent/treat infection.

As a child I suffered terribly with mouth ulcers and Gentian Violet was the only thing the doctor would ever prescribe.

It never eased the soreness in any way and just made a mess of the bed pillows .

[Laz]

I went to Chaucer Comp, and before leaving we had a medical and a teeth check-up, I was told I had perfect teeth, 6 months later I joined the Army where our teeth are inspected by I presume a new dentist, imagine my surprise when he told me I need no less than 10 fillings, what? I was shocked, to say the least, anyway, he does all these fillings, and every single one dropped out within a further 6 month period and they never got any better, always falling out. I've always blamed the Army dentists for my teeth problems, he was a 1 pip Lieutenant so fairly new. Not such happy memories of my 1st encounter with the Army dentists. But, having said that I'd go back tomorrow. 

[Ponytail]

Advertisement produced by the Health Education Service to encourage visits to the Dentist. 1961.y11137

Taken from 'Annual Report on the Health of the City of Sheffield 1961'.