Most children visit dentists regularly - report

A new dental report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

shows that most children had visited a dentist during the previous 12 months.

The report, Trends in access to dental care among Australian children, covered the period from 1994 to 2005, and showed that at least 4 in 5 children had visited a dentist in the last 12 months with children aged 5–11 years slightly more likely to visit than those aged 12–17.

Between 1996 and 2005, visiting for a check-up, rather than a problem, increased across both age groups, peaking in 2005 at 78% for 5–11 year- olds and 81% for 12–17 year-olds.

A higher percentage of children in families with a health care card and without private dental insurance visited for a problem.

When visiting a dentist, about 8% of 5–11 year-olds had a tooth extracted. Among 12-17 year-olds, prevalence fluctuated between a high of 15% in 1994 to a low of 9% in 2005.

Children who visited for a problem were more than twice as likely to have an extraction as those who usually visited for a check-up.

About 30% of children aged 5-11 years and 25% of children aged 12–17 years had a filling.

Cost was reported by a low percentage of families as a barrier in accessing dental care for children, with the percentage falling over the 1994–2005 period. The report, released today, costs $24.