25% Of Aussie Kids Under 10 Have Untreated Tooth Decay

The University of Adelaide conducted a national oral health survey which found 25% of all Aussie kids aged 10 and under have untreated tooth decay.

The survey is a collaborative project between the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, based in the University of Adelaide’s School of Dentistry, and state and territory dental services.

University of Adelaide’s Associate Professor Loc Do said “This study is one of the biggest and most comprehensive of its kind in the world, giving us important and timely insights into the trends occurring in child oral health and behaviours of Australian children and their families,”

Other results from the survey found that:

• over 40% of children aged 5-10 years had decay in their primary (baby) teeth
• 1/4 of children in that same age group had never received treatment for their tooth decay
• On average, Australian children aged 5-10 had 1.5 primary teeth with decay
• 1/3 of children aged 9-14 years had decay in their permanent teeth,
• one in seven children in this age group had not previously been treated for decay in permanent teeth

Children in Queensland and the Northen Territory had the highest prevalence and severity of tooth decay. While Children of low socio-economic background and Indigenous children had significantly higher rates of dental decay.