Main findings  

Among Australian children aged 5–6 years:

  • nearly half (48.7%) had a history of dental decay in the deciduous teeth
  • the mean number of decayed, missing and filled deciduous teeth was 2.0
  • the mean number of decayed, missing and filled deciduous teeth of children from the lowest socioeconomic status areas was about 70% higher than for those from the highest socioeconomic status areas. This pattern was evident across all states and territories whose data were included in the analysis.

Among Australian children aged 12 years:

  • nearly half (45.1%) had a history of dental decay in the permanent teeth
  • the mean number of decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth was 1.1
  • the mean number of decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth of children from the lowest socioeconomic status areas was about 70% higher than for those from the highest socioeconomic status areas.