Dental status in young children by Health Area
Data table
View data tableNote
dmft = deciduous teeth that are decayed, missing or filled because of dental decay.
Source
NSW Child Dental Health Survey. Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health.
Commentary
Children's dental health in Australia is better than in many other countries. Of the 44 countries with comparable national data available, Australia had the seventh lowest average number of decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth among 12-year-olds. However, children from areas where drinking water contained negligible fluoride had poorer dental health than did children from areas with either naturally or artificially fluoridated water. The poorer dental health of children from areas with negligible levels of fluoride in the water persisted across differing areas of residential location and levels of socioeconomic disadvantage (Armfield et al., 2007).
Deciduous decay experience is recorded as the number of deciduous teeth that are decayed, missing because of dental decay or filled because of dental decay. The index of decay experience in deciduous teeth is referred to as dmft. Decay refers to cavities, usually detected clinically using visual and/or tactile criteria. In some instances, radiographic criteria may be used. The data for the NSW Child Dental Health Survey are derived from examinations of children enrolled in the school (public and private) dental services and are based on the clinical judgment of the examining dental therapist or dentist (Armfield et al., 2007).
In NSW in 2007, 59.3% children 5-6 year old were found to be free of dental caries, either active or treated in the past, in their deciduous teeth (% caries free). On average, a child had 1.7 teeth that were decayed, missing or filled because of decay (dmft=1.7). Results varied by Health Area. The best results were in the Northern Sydney and Central Coast Area Health Service (caries free 72.9% and dmft= 0.9) and in the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Health Area (caries free 71.9% and dmft= 0.9). The North Coast Area Health Service had the worst results (caries free 40.5% and dmft= 2.7).
Indicators presenting dmft and % caries free provide good summary statistics of the average decay experience for a population. Data analysed by geographical areas in combination with other indicators can elicit the existence of groups with considerable decay experience.
For more information
Armfield JM, Slade GD & Spencer AJ. Water fluoridation and children's dental health: The Child Dental Health Survey, Australia 2002. Cat. no. DEN 170. Dental statistics and research series no. 36. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007. Available at www.adelaide.edu.au/spdent/dsru/pub_frame.html
Jamieson LM, Armfield JM & Roberts-Thomson KF. Oral health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. AIHW cat. no. DEN 167. Dental Statistics and Research Series No. 35. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007. Available at www.adelaide.edu.au/spdent/dsru/pub_frame.html
Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH) website at www.adelaide.edu.au/spdent/dsru/pub_frame.html
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia's health 2008. Cat. no. AUS 99. Canberra: AIHW, 2008. Available at: www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10585
Centre for Epidemiology and Research. 2005-2006 Report on child health from the New South Wales Population Health Survey. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2008. Available at: www.health.nsw.gov.au/PublicHealth/surveys/hsc/0506/index.asp
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 Institute of Health and Welfare. Dental Statistics and Research Unit at www.adelaide.edu.au/spdent/dsru/.
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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: www.health.nsw.gov.au/publichealth/chorep/. Accessed (insert date of access).
Produced by
Centre for Epidemiology and Research, Population Health Division, NSW Department of Health.
Last updated on 15 December 2008
