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Report of the
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Oral health
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Report of the
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Oral health
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Oral health is an integral component of lifelong health and is much more than the absence of oral disease. Oral health includes a person's comfort in eating and social interactions, their self-esteem and their satisfaction with their appearance (AIHW, 2006).
In recent years dental caries was the most prevalent health problem, and periodontal diseases were the fifth most prevalent health problem in Australia. About 90% of all tooth loss can be attributed to these two health problems and, because they are preventable and treatable, most tooth loss is avoidable (AHMAC, 2001). In recent decades, factors such as changes in diet, reduced sugar consumption, exposure to fluoride, and changes in disease management, have contributed to significant improvements in oral health. Australians in all states and territories enjoy a relatively high standard of oral health. However, this high standard is not equally distributed among different age and social groups.
Oral health is affected by a complex interplay of social, environmental, and economic factors that extend beyond risk behaviour. Specific population groups, such as refugees and prison inmates, continue to experience extensive oral disease.
Currently, public health effort is focused on identifying disadvantaged populations that require special attention, and, in the NSW population as a whole, on oral health promotion, disease prevention and improving access to services (NACOH, 2004). This chapter presents an overall picture of the oral health of the people of NSW.
Water fluoridation is the most effective, cost-effective, equitable and safe means of providing protection from tooth decay (ADA, 2004; ARCPOH, 2006). In 2003, NSW Health developed a coordinated, strategic, multidisciplinary approach to water fluoridation in order to reduce the growing inequalities in oral health. This approach has been successful, and many councils in NSW either voted or had been directed to fluoridate their community water supplies. As a consequence, the proportion of the NSW population without access to fluoridated water in their main supply will decrease from 8.7% in 2006 to 6.7% in 2007.
Data presented in this chapter come from four main sources. The NSW Population Health Survey was the source for data on dental status and ambulatory treatment patterns in adults, and on treatment patterns in children. Data on hospitalisations for the removal or restoration of teeth came from the NSW Inpatient Statistics Collection. Data on dental ambulatory care sensitive conditions came from the NSW Inpatient Statistics Collection with ambulatory care sensitive hospitalisation definitions from the Victorian Department of Human Services. Data on water fluoridation by health area has been supplied by the NSW Centre for Oral Health Strategy.
More information on the methods used for analysing data is given in the Methods section.
| For more information: |
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia's health 2006. AIHW cat. no. AUS 73. Canberra: AIHW, 2006. Available at: www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10321 Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Committee. Oral health of Australians: National planning for oral health improvement: final report Adelaide: South Australian Department of Human Services, 2001. National Advisory Committee on Oral Health (NACOH) to Australian Health Ministers' Conference. Healthy mouths healthy lives: Australia's national oral health plan 2004-2013 Adelaide: Government of South Australia, 2004. Australian Dental Association. Policy statement: Community oral health promotion. Fluoride use. ADA, 2004. Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH), Dental School, The University of Adelaide, South Australia. The Use of Fluorides in Australia : Guidelines. Australian Dental Journal, 2006. 51: (2) 195-199. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Dental Statistics and Research Unit website at www.adelaide.edu.au/spdent/dsru/ Australian Dental Association website at www.ada.org.au |
| Print version: | Although this page can be printed directly from your Web browser, a higher quality version of this entire page (graph, table and text) is available as an Acrobat PDF file which can be printed or viewed on screen using free software. |
| Copyright notice: | This work is copyright NSW Department of Health, 2006. It may be reproduced in whole or in part, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. Commercial usage or sale is prohibited. |
| Suggested citation: | Population Health Division. The health of the people of New South Wales - Report of the Chief Health Officer. Sydney: NSW Department of Health. Available at: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/chorep/ora/ora_intro.htm. Accessed (insert date of access). |
| Produced by: | Centre for Epidemiology and Research, Population Health Division, NSW Department of Health. |
| Last updated on: | 16 November 2006 |
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