Child Dental Health Survey Australia 2007: 30-year trends in child oral health

Abstract

This report describes the state of oral health of Australian children examined by school dental service (SDS) staff in 2007. It also describes trends in oral health of Australian children between 1989 and 2007. The most recent findings are drawn from the 2007 Child Dental Health Survey (CDHS) which analysed the data of 110,014 children aged 4 to 15 from most states and territories. The longer term trends highlight results for children aged 6 and 12 as these are the standard age groups for reporting on dental caries experience in the deciduous and permanent teeth respectively. Due to missing data from Victoria, any comparisons with previous years or international statistics should be made with caution. The figures presented over 30 years are drawn from previous CDHSs and monitoring undertaken by the (then) Commonwealth Department of Health.