Many problems in Australian dental health, says report
20 March 2001
Complete tooth loss decreased for Australians in the late 1990s, but dental problems in general increased, according to a report published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
The report, Oral Health and Access to Dental Care—1994-96 and 1999, shows that the mean number of missing teeth also decreased, as did denture use, but this was not the case for adults who were Government concession cardholders.
Professor John Spencer, Director of the AIHW Dental Statistics and Research Unit, said that survey figures showed that health card-holders in particular were experiencing more toothache, discomfort with dental appearance and avoidance of particular foods in 1999 than in 1994-96.
'The report also shows that while the overall percentage of adults visiting dentists changed little from 1994-96 to 1999, access to dental care by card-holders has deteriorated,' Professor Spencer said.
He said that of the eligible card-holders who received dental care in 1999, less than 40 per cent had their last dental visit at a public clinic, while the remaining 60 per cent sought care at a private dentist at their own expense, even though they were eligible for public treatment.
'Affordability is an issue. In 1999, 39.3 per cent of cardholders who last visited a public clinic said cost had prevented them from proceeding with recommended or wanted dental treatment in the previous 12 months,' said Professor Spencer.
As well, Professor Spencer said that it was also a concern that a slight reduction in the percentage of adults receiving fillings in the previous 12 months (49 per cent down to 46 per cent) was unlikely to be due to a reduction in dental disease. This was because the percentage of people receiving extractions had risen (from 14 per cent to 17 per cent).
The rise in extractions was particularly pronounced in 25-44 year olds (14 per cent rising to 19 per cent) and among cardholders (16 per cent to 23 per cent for private treatment, and 30 per cent to 33 per cent for publicly funded treatment).
‘There is a need to intervene in the high rate of extractions in young adults and health-card holders if the oral health of adults is to be improved,’ Professor Spencer said.
Last Reviewed: 22 March 2001
