Summary

Overview of results

This report describes levels of oral health in the adult population of South Australia (SA) at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The findings are from the 2004–06 National Survey of Adult Oral Health (NSAOH). In SA, 1,335 people were interviewed and 629 people were dentally examined for the survey. This report presents percentages and means for 30 oral health indicators in tables that compare three age groups and classify people according to five sociodemographic characteristics: sex, residential locality, socioeconomic status of residential postcode, government health card status and dental insurance status.

Oral health status

  • 8.2% of people had no natural teeth and among dentate people, an average of 4.1 teeth per person were missing. Tooth loss was associated with socioeconomic status of their residential postcode, government health card status, and dental insurance.
  • 26.1% of people had untreated dental decay and an average of 12.7 teeth per person were decayed, missing or filled. Indicators of dental decay experience were more frequent among government health cardholders compared with non health cardholders.
  • 18.4% of people had inflamed gums and 19.8% had moderate or severe gum disease. Indicators of gum disease occurred more frequently in males compared to females, and they were associated with government health card status, and dental insurance.

Oral health care

  • 57.9% of people had visited a dentist within the preceding 12 months, and 51.9% said they usually did so. These and two other measures of dental attendance varied according to socioeconomic status and dental insurance status.
  • 78.6% of people had a dentist that they usually attended, although 28.0% said that they avoided or delayed dental care due to its cost. Barriers to dental care were most strongly associated with socioeconomic status, government health card status and dental insurance status.

Oral health perceptions

  • 17.7% of people said they had avoided some foods due to dental problems, and 15.2% had experienced toothache in the preceding 12 months. Perceptions of poor oral health were associated with socioeconomic status, government health card status and dental insurance status.
  • 32.8% of people felt they needed an extraction or filling, although only 7.7% said they needed dentures. Government health cardholders and the uninsured reported relatively higher levels of treatment need.

Age-standardised analysis revealed that government health cardholders had poorer outcomes for 17 of the 29 indicators reported, while the uninsured had poorer outcomes for 20 of the 30 indicators.