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Clinical oral health of A ustralia's rural children in a sample attending school dental services
Author(s) -
Ha Diep Hong,
Crocombe Leonard A.,
C Mejia Gloria
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
australian journal of rural health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.48
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1584
pISSN - 1038-5282
DOI - 10.1111/ajr.12107
Subject(s) - oral health , medicine , socioeconomic status , permanent teeth , deciduous teeth , indigenous , rural area , demography , dentistry , dental decay , environmental health , population , pathology , sociology , ecology , biology
Objective To examine the association between children's clinical oral health status and their residential location using the latest available data (2009) and to ascertain whether poor oral health among rural children is related to being I ndigenous, having less access to fluoridated water or being of lower socioeconomic status ( SES ), than children from urban areas. Design Cross‐sectional survey. Setting and participant Data were collected on 74 467 children aged 5–12 years attending school dental services in A ustralia (data were not available for V ictoria or N ew S outh W ales). Main outcome measures Clinical oral health was determined by the mean number of permanent teeth with untreated caries, missing and filled permanent teeth, and the mean decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth index ( DMFT ) of 8 to 12‐year‐old‐children and the mean number deciduous teeth with untreated caries, missing and filled deciduous teeth, and the mean decayed, missing and filled deciduous teeth index (dmft) of 5–10‐year‐olds. Results The multivariable models that included coefficients on whether the child was I ndigenous, from an area with fluoridated water and SES , were controlled for age and sex. The mean DMFT of 8–12‐year‐old children and the mean dmft of 5–10‐year‐old‐children were significantly higher in rural areas compared with urban centres after accounting for Indigenous status, fluoridated water and SES . Conclusion Children's oral health was poorer in rural areas than in major city areas.