A report published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has found that Australian children’s oral health as ‘improved markedly’ over the last 30 years.

 

The Child Dental Health Survey Australia 2007: 30-year trends in child oral health report describes the overall oral health status of Australian children examined by school dental staff in 2007, compared with that in 1977.

 

‘The good news is that between 1977 and the mid-1990s, the average number of deciduous (baby) teeth affected by caries halved in children aged 6,’ said Professor Kaye Roberts‑Thomson of the AIHW’s Dental Statistics and Research Unit.

 

Caries in the permanent teeth of children aged 12 declined even more dramatically—in 1993, children aged 12 had less than one-quarter the number of teeth affected by caries than in 1977.

 

‘However, in both age groups, the average number of caries has increased slightly since the mid-1990s,’ Professor Roberts-Thomson said.

 

The report found that just under half (46 per cent) of children examined had a history of decay in their baby teeth. In contrast, one-tenth of children aged 6 with the most extensive history of tooth decay had almost 10 baby teeth affected—over 5 times the national average.

 

‘Among older children, 39% and 60% of children aged 12 and 15 respectively had some history of decay in their permanent teeth. The average number of teeth affected was one for 12 year olds and two for those aged 15. Again, the one-tenth of 12–15 year olds with the most extensive history of tooth decay had much higher numbers of teeth affected, with between 5.2 and 8.6 permanent teeth affected. This was more than 4 times the national average for those age groups,’ Professor Roberts-Thomson said.

 

The report can be found here