Edentulism prevalence

KPI 4: Proportion of adults aged 45 years or older who have lost all of their natural teeth

Tooth loss can affect both oral function and appearance, and therefore negatively impact on quality of life. Limited oral function is also associated with deteriorating diet and compromised nutrition, which can adversely impact on overall health (NACDH 2012). Adults who have no natural teeth are classified as edentulous.

Around 1 in 10 (9.0%) adults aged 45 years and over and around 1 in 5 (19%) adults aged 65 years and over had lost all of their natural teeth in 2013. This proportion decreased slightly in 2017–18 to around 1 in 12 (8.1%) adults aged 45 years and over and around 1 in 7 (15%) adults aged 65 years and over.

Explore the data using the interactive below:

KPI 4 Interactive 1: Proportion of adults aged 45 years and over who have lost all of their natural teeth—Australia

This figure shows the proportion of adults aged 45 years and over who have lost all of their natural teeth. National, state and territory data is presented for 2013 and 2017-18. In Australia, 8.1% of adults aged 45 years and over had lost all of their natural teeth in 2017-18.

KPI 4 Interactive 2: Proportion of adults aged 45 years and over who have lost all of their natural teeth—Public dental clients

This figure shows the proportion of public dental clients aged 45 years and over who have lost all of their natural teeth, by state and territory, between 2014-15 and 2017-18.

Data tables available for download.

More information about edentulism.

References:

NACDH (National Advisory Council on Dental Health) 2012. Report of the National Advisory Council on Dental Health 2012. Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing.