Oral health data book

The Health of the people of New South Wales
Report of the Chief Health Officer

Overall, oral health in NSW is good by world standards. However, oral health varies with age, and among population subgroups.

Among children:

- More than half have evidence of tooth decay;
- more than one-third do not visit a dentist each year;
- hospitalisations for the removal or restoration of teeth due to dental decay have not increased in recent years in older children;
- an increasing proportion of hospitalisations for dental decay has been occurring in private hospitals.
Among adults:

- around 80% of adults report good oral health and have at least 20 teeth;
- well over one-third have all of their natural teeth;
- 1 in 17 have no natural teeth;
- around three-quarters visit a dentist every two years;
- around one-third have a filling each year;
- hospitalisations for the removal or restoration of teeth due to dental decay have increased in recent years with an increasing proportion occurring in private hospitals.
Oral health is worse in areas with no access to a fluoridated community water supply.

File link: Oral health data book
File size: &booksize
Type: Report
Date of Publication: &bookdate
Author Branch: Centre for Epidemiology & Research