Australian children rank among the world's best for their oral
health, although Australian boys and girls experience differing
levels of tooth decay, according to a new report released today by
the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Dental health differences between boys and girls: The Child
Dental Health Survey, Australia 2000 draws on data collected
on children aged 4-15 years enrolled in state and territory
government-run school dental services.
The report states that of 49 countries for which comparable
national data are available, Australia has the fourth lowest
average number of decayed, missing and filled permanent (adult)
teeth among 12-year-olds.
Comparing Australian boys and girls, boys had more decayed
deciduous (baby) teeth than girls, while girls at every age showed
more decay among their adult teeth than boys.
'At any given age, boys have more baby teeth present and girls
have more adult teeth present, due to the earlier eruption of
permanent teeth in girls,' said co-author Jason Armfield, from
AIHW's Dental Statistics and Research Unit in Adelaide.
However the differences in decay rates remain even when this is
allowed for.
'Another interesting finding was boys had slightly higher
numbers of fillings in their permanent teeth than girls at most
ages, despite the girls' slightly worse overall dental health for
permanent teeth,' Mr Armfield said.
Figures for all Australian children show a steady decline in the
presence of decayed baby teeth with increasing age, while for
permanent teeth the level of decay increased consistently with
age.
Mr Armfield said that while most Australian children show
relatively low levels of decay in their baby teeth, there was a
minority who experienced considerable levels of tooth decay.
'A considerable amount of tooth decay is experienced by a small
minority of children. For example, among 6-year-olds, the 10% with
the worst dental health had about 5 times the number of decayed,
missing or filled baby teeth than the national average, with more
than 8 affected teeth, on average, recorded per child,' he
said.
There are considerable differences in children's dental health
between the states and territories. For example, for 5- and
6-year-olds' baby teeth, the average number of decayed, missing and
filled teeth was highest in the Northern Territory (2.26 teeth) and
lowest in New South Wales (0.98 teeth).
22 July 2004
Further information: Jason Armfield, AIHW
Dental Statistics and Research Unit,
tel. 08 8303 4050.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW
Publications Catalogue for availability of Dental Health
Differences Between Boys and Girls: The Child Dental Health Survey,
Australia 2000, July 2004.