Oral health of Territorians to be assessed in national study

Monday, 30 July 2018

More than a thousand people across the Northern Territory will be encouraged to take part in free dental examinations as part of a $5.8 million national oral health study.

Led by the University of Adelaide, the National Study of Adult Oral Health 2017–2018 is being conducted in all States and Territories and is the first major study of its kind in Australia for more than a decade.

The research will assess the level of oral diseases among Australian adults, and the effectiveness, sustainability and equity of dental service delivery across the country.

"We're already seeing a positive response to this study in the Northern Territory, with more than 1100 Territorians having already completed a telephone interview or online survey," says chief investigator Professor David Brennan, Professor of Population Oral Health at the University of Adelaide and Director of the internationally recognised Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health (ARCPOH).

"The next stage of the study involves receiving a free dental examination, so we encourage all those people who have already completed an interview or online survey to continue their involvement."

More than 15,000 Australians have so far taken part in the study, which is being conducted by ARCPOH – in the Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide – in partnership with national and state departments of health and dental services.

"We've been incredibly happy with the support of communities across Australia, with a high participation rate so far," Professor David Brennan says.

"It's critical that we understand the changes in dental health among adult Australians, and the quality, prevalence and accessibility of services they receive. We expect that people in Northern Territory – in both the Top End and Central Australia regions – will make a major contribution to the findings of our study."

Professor Brennan says the study will inform government policy-makers and dental service providers about the delivery of fair and effective dental services for all Australians over the next decade and more.

"Importantly, the results of our study will directly impact on dental care in the community, which will affect people's quality of life," he says.

For more information, visit the National Study of Adult Oral Health website:
www.adelaide.edu.au/arcpoh/national-study

The National Study of Adult Oral Health 2017-2018 is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), with additional funding and support from federal, state and territory health departments and dental services, and support from the Australian Dental Association, Colgate and Bupa.

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