Clinical oral health outcomes in young Australian Aboriginal adults compared with national-level counterparts

Abstract

Objective: To compare clinical oral health outcomes between a birth cohort of young Australian Aboriginal adults and age-matched, national-level counterparts. Design, setting and participants: Comparison of outcomes between the dental component of Wave-3 of the Aboriginal Birth Cohort (ABC) study — a cross-sectional study conducted between January 2006 and December 2007, nested within a prospective longitudinal investigation in the Northern Territory’s Top End — and the 2004–06 National Survey of Adult Oral Health (NSAOH), a representative survey of the Australian population. Data were analysed for 442 ABC study participants and 202 NSAOH participants aged 16–20 years. Main outcome measures: Severity and prevalence of clinical oral health outcomes. Results: The mean number of decayed teeth was 8.0 times higher among ABC study participants than NSAOH participants, while the prevalence of untreated decayed teeth was 3.1 times higher. ABC study participants experienced 10.8 times the prevalence of moderate or severe periodontal disease of NSAOH participants, and 1.9, 4.1 and 4.5 times the prevalence of calculus, plaque and gingivitis, respectively. Conclusion: Adverse clinical oral health outcomes were 2–11 times higher in a cohort of young Australian Aboriginal adults than their age-matched, nationally representative counterparts.